KidnappEdd
by Battygirl
Summary: A story of obsession taken to the extreme. How far a man will go to satisfy his most depraved desires. AU to the Child's Play Spoof I co-wrote with DuoXKouga. Also an AU where BPS did not happen. Full list of trigger warnings inside. Updates…Maybe? AN: No more Anonymous reviews. You wanna complain at me, come off anon.
1. Introduction

**KidnappEdd**

Summary:

A story of obsession taken to the extreme. How far a man will go to satisfy his most depraved desires. AU to the Child's Play Spoof I co-wrote with DuoXKouga (AC). AU where BPS did not happen.

 **Warnings/Triggers: Alcohol Abuse, Child Abduction, Child Abuse, Dub-con, Mental Instability, Non-con, Obsession, Pedophilia, Physical Violence, Rape, Sexual Violence, Stalking, Underage Drinking.**

Pairing: BroEdd

* * *

 **Authors' Notes:**

Greetings and salutations, dear readers. I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome you to my latest work and to make a few things very _very_ clear.

First, a disclaimer. I can't believe this really needs to be said, but I condone _nothing_ that happens in this fic. I condone _none_ of the above triggers. It is fiction and that is how it is meant to be viewed.

Now, if you are not comfortable with the above trigger warnings, I _urge_ you to proceed with caution. This story _will_ be going to dark places and your chance to leave is _now_.

This is your **ONLY** warning. Unlike my other stories, there will be no author's notes preceding the chapters unless I need to address something specific. In fact, there will be no story in this chapter following this introduction: the actual story will begin with the next chapter. I am creating _this_ "chapter" _specifically_ for the individuals who have come looking to be offended. You know who you are and, frankly, you are not welcome here.

For everyone else who is comfortable moving forward and who can distinguish fiction from reality — hopefully the majority of individuals who've clicked on this story — I welcome you to continue with the above triggers in mind. Once again, I will not be preempting each chapter with those warnings or an author's note.

 _ **THIS IS YOUR WARNING.**_

Updates for this fic will be posted every other week on Friday.

Enjoy.


	2. Ch 1 - The Edd Is In Your Court

Nothing else matters right now…

His mouth latches onto the soft, sweet skin of the body beneath him. The most beautiful _fucking_ sounds slip from his partner's lips. Little gasps and soft giggles that sound like heaven. He leaves teasing nips to the wet flesh, drawing out more of those adorable noises. Chuckling, he moves along the small jaw to whisper directly into the boy's ear.

"You like that, Princess…?"

The precious, gap-toothed grin he receives sends a shiver of desire through him. It's certainly enough of an answer for him. His hands slither down the slender torso to the plush hips where he stops to squeeze the boy's flesh. The little noises he's making get louder.

"Terry…" the boy whines, wriggling in his grasp, "N-Not so hard…"

That cute smile is replaced with a pout, drawing a grimace from Terry. He sits up a little, shaking off the disappointment to smirk down at the boy.

"C'mon now, sweetheart…" he purrs, squeezing the soft hips again, "You know I ain't gonna hurt you for real."

Without another word, he leans in to kiss him again, moaning softly into the boy's lips. He starts rocking his hips against the body beneath him, kissing back down his jaw and to his neck. The lithe legs wrap around his middle as his Princess releases quick little moans and gasps. He laughs again.

"Pace yourself, darlin'," he chuckles, "we ain't even got to the good part yet."

The little moans don't stop, though. In fact, they only get louder and…oddly more rhythmic?

"Ah!…Ah!…Ah!"

Louder and louder. Less and less human…

Fuck…

* * *

Terry blinks his eyes open, groaning low in his throat as he shoots a weary glare at the alarm clock blaring on his bedside table. He reaches over and slams the button to shut it off. _God dammit…_ Pulling his arm back, he returns to spooning the pillow beneath him, nuzzling the fabric as he tries to reconnect to the blissful dream that's already begun fading from his memory.

No good…

"Dammit."

He drags himself to sit up and glares down at the floor as he rubs his face. If Mike weren't riding his ass about slacking off, he'd stay in bed all damn day, reminiscing on that sexy fuckin' dream. As it is, though, he can't afford to miss work more than usual.

With a yawn, he pulls himself up and out of bed. He tries to avoid looking at his collection of photos plastered on his walls. Can't get distracted right now. It's almost noon and he's gotta go meet Dave at the shrimp stand to grab a bite before his shift starts. He digs through his dresser to find something that's relatively clean to wear. All while desperately keeping his eyes off of that pretty face in each of those pictures. _Startin' to regret puttin' all them up…_

 _How long are you going to torture yourself like this…?_

He cringes a little, glancing back. A small figure sits on his bed, gazing up at him with those pretty, green eyes. He brushes his hair behind his ear, moving the hat aside a little. Terry shoots him a grimace.

"You ain't really here," he grumbles, turning back to his dresser.

 _And whose fault is that?_ the boy asks, the pout heavy in his voice, _You wouldn't be in such a foul mood if I were really here…_

"Yeah, but you're _not,_ so fuck off," Terry sneers back.

 _Why won't you just come get me? Isn't that what you want?_

Terry doesn't answer, glaring at the dresser as he changes into his work clothes. Once he's dressed, he grabs his hat and his cigarettes from the top of the dresser and turns to the door.

 _I'm not going away, you know…_

Terry ignores that as he storms down the hall. He stops by his fridge for a moment, grabbing a beer for the road, as it were, before exiting the trailer.

* * *

Fuck, why do these days gotta pass so goddamn slow? Taking a long drag off his cigarette, he leans against the control panel for the Tilt-O-Hurl, bored out of his skull. It always irked him that he'd get stuck with this shit job. It's not like he had any one place around the park that he'd be sent to everyday, but operating the rides was always annoying.

He glances around, a devilish grin on his face as a thought occurs to him. No one's paying attention. Not really. The parents are all standing around the gates that surround the ride, but none are watching their children particularly closely. With a snicker, he nudges the lever slightly, ramping up the speed of the ride.

The screams of terror draw a roar of laughter from him. At least he could get a _little_ entertainment from this.

" _Turn it off!_ "

He grimaces at the outraged cry from one of the more obnoxious mothers. Rolling his eyes, he pulls the lever back to its original position before pulling it back completely. It was about that time when he had to turn the thing off anyway…

As the ride comes to a complete stop, the kids begin fumbling with their seat belts. They stumble like little drunks back to their parents, earning another satisfied snicker from Terry. The outraged mother storms up to him. He rolls his eyes again, this time in disinterest as he raises the cigarette to his lips again. _Here we go…_

"How could you let the ride get out of control like that?!" she demands, "If you're operating this machine, you should be capable of making sure it's safe."

Glaring at her, Terry moves the cigarette away again and blows smoke into her face, making her cough and her nose wrinkle in disgust.

"The brats are alive, ain't they?"

"Those kids could have been seriously hurt!"

"Ask me if I care," Terry stands a little straighter, "Now fuck off. There's a line behind ya."

She fumes at that, glaring daggers at him.

"I'll be speaking to the owner about this!" she roars, grabbing her son's hand and dragging him away.

Terry shakes his head, watching as the next group of kids pile onto the ride. He's not concerned in the least about whatever that bitch intends to tell Mike. No matter what he did, the fucker never gave any inkling he'd fire him. Just had to show up and he was cool. If the bitch sticks around, he'll come by to give him a 'talking to' and then after they have a good laugh at her expense, he'll fuck right back off and leave Terry to his job.

Speaking of which…

When the ride is filled up, Terry moves the lever to start it. He leans against the console again, taking another drag off his smoke and glancing around at the kids that are running around off the ride. He wonders, briefly, why none of these little ankle biters gave him the same stirring in his loins that his little Princess did. Isn't that how it worked? You get a hard on for one brat and then you wanna fuck all of 'em? As far as he was concerned, though, kids were all snotty, annoying little shits and he couldn't get it up for one if he tried. So what made Edd any different…?

Well, he didn't look like a normal little boy, he supposed. He looked more like a girl. That was a nice plus; a little girl he can't knock up. But even the little girls who came to the park didn't pique his interest. They were all loud and annoying. But not Edd. He remembers that phone call damn well. Edd was soft-spoken and almost _too_ polite and his voice sounded sweeter than honey. Not the shrill banshees that pestered him at the park. Nah, none of these little fuckers could hold a candle to his pretty little Princess.

He mutters a curse as that familiar warmth fills his gut. With a sneer, he grabs his beer and takes a long swig. Gotta keep it together. The park won't be closing for another hour or so. Can't be popping a boner in front of all these kids — particularly with mothers like that bitch glaring holes in the back of his head.

Later…

* * *

Finally home. He kicks off his shoes as he shuts the door and locks it behind him. Tossing his keys and his smokes on the kitchen table, he heads straight for the bathroom to wash off the greasy feeling clinging to him.

The lukewarm water washing over him feels damn good. He grins a bit, letting his thoughts drift back to his earlier musings. Good a time as any…Leaning against the wall of the shower and planting his feet, he closes his eyes to set his fantasy into motion.

His little Princess, kneeling down between his legs. Those adorable little hands resting on his thighs to steady himself as he sits up on his knees. Bare, of course, to enjoy the shower with him. Yeah; he'd love doing it in the shower most. Get himself nice n' clean right before getting dirty with him. He'd move his hands to wrap around the man's cock, which Terry mimics with one hand in reality. In his fantasy, Edd is shy and uncertain in his movements. Fuckin' adorable…Offering tentative little licks to please him. Terry drags his fingers over his tip to simulate the motion.

Gnawing his lower lip between his teeth, he imagines that hot little mouth enveloping him. He starts stroking himself, his eyes shut tight to better enjoy his visions. Panting softly, he tries to picture that sweet voice speaking to him as his little Princess pulls himself away to gaze up at him with those pretty fuckin' eyes.

 _Does this feel good…?_

Terry grits his teeth; "Fuck…yes…"

His hand near the wall grasps blindly for the support rail. When he finds it, he holds on tight so he can lean forward more. He pictures his hand grasping at the back of the boy's head, keeping him still as he thrusts back into that tight heat. He imagines Edd gagging, but of course, he could care less. All that matters is his own pleasure and that it's his little Princess providing it.

His breathing gets heavier as he nears his release and he starts rocking his hips a bit, wrapped up in his own head.

"Ah…Princess…"

He imagines Edd looking up at him in wanting, realizing he's close. With that in mind, he would manage to pull away and open his mouth, sticking out his tongue stained by those jawbreakers Eddy says he liked so much. The image is enough to push him over the edge and he orgasms with a low groan. He licks his lips as his little fantasy Edd is hit in the face with his ejaculate. It hits that minty green tongue, which he imagines the boy swallowing down begrudgingly, but obediently.

"Good boy…"

As his fantasy fades from his mind and his body slowly calms again, he sighs in frustration. He finishes the shower quickly after that.

"I need a fuckin' drink…" he grumbles.

Heading to the kitchen with a towel around his waist, he heads straight for the fridge. He sneers at the dismal stock within and begrudgingly retrieves one of the three bottles remaining.

"Fuckin' hate shopping…"

Popping the bottle open with his teeth, he takes a long gulp.

 _Bet that would've felt better if I were actually in there with you…_

He sighs, lowering the bottle to glare at the boy seated suddenly at the kitchen table. Cocking his head to the side, he regards Terry carefully.

 _What's stopping you, exactly…?_

Terry scoffs, leaning against the refrigerator; "He's twelve."

The boy shrugs; _Why does that matter? Isn't age just a number?_

"Legally? No. And I dunno if I necessarily feel like goin' to jail for this."

 _I'm surprised…I was under the impression you thought I was worth it…_

Terry's jaw clenches; "This is fuckin' stupid. I'm talkin' to myself."

 _Then you should be aware of what you want, right? I'm only repeating it back to you._

"Fuck off," Terry grumbles, approaching the table to look over the envelopes he'd left there this morning.

He groans a bit when he spots Eddy's shitty handwriting on one of them. His fingers twitch as he debates whether or not he wants to open it. Ever since Eddy started sending pictures along with his letters, there's not been a single one that's not included a photo. Little shutterbug was driving him crazy.

His fantasy Edd leans forward against the table; _I don't think there's any chance of_ _ **those**_ _going away either…_

With a growl, he grabs his pack of cigarettes and storms away from the table and the letters, heading back to his bedroom with the bottle in hand.

* * *

No interruptions. Not this time.

Terry sinks his teeth into the point where Edd's shoulder meets his scrawny neck, making the boy cry out in pain. It does nothing to deter the man above him; Terry doesn't slow down for a second. His pace is brutal as he grinds his hips against the body beneath him, desperate for as much of that delicious friction as possible. His little Princess sobs into his shoulder, begging for mercy.

"P-Please!" he begs, "Be more gentle, Terry!"

"Fuck that," Terry growls back, "Just lie back and take it, sweetheart."

That draws a whimper from the boy, but nothing more.

So fucking good…So fucking _close!_

* * *

Just as that pleasure was about to finally take him, he's jolted from his slumber by the loud ringing of his telephone.

"God dammit!"

He lets the machine get it, grimacing with each obnoxious ring. With a yawn, he glances at his alarm clock. Fuckin' _six?!_ He groans. Who the fuck…? The machine picks up.

" _Leave a message or don't. I don't care._ " _Beep!_

Silence. The machine _beeps_ again and he mutters another curse. Fuckin' telemarketers: always on his days off, too. With an irritable grumble, he rolls over onto his side to face the wall. Almost expectantly, those green eyes gaze back at him as his fantasy Princess lays beside him.

 _You dreamt about me again, didn't you…?_

Terry groans, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

 _Why won't you just come get me?_

"Leave me alone."

 _What are you waiting for? Are you expecting me to just show up on your doorstep one day?_

"Doubtful."

 _So, what are you waiting for?_

Terry doesn't answer, watching with a sneer as the boy rises to sit up. Edd leans over him, smiling coyly.

 _Don't you think it'd be so much better to lie beside me for_ _ **real?**_ _Isn't that what you desire most?_

Covering his face, Terry groans again.

"Stop it."

 _Don't you want to be happy? With me?_

Terry drags his hands down his face, exhaling slowly. No shit that's what he wanted. It's what he's wanted more than anything else in the goddamn world. He glances at the figure again, finding him leaning against his stomach, grinning demurely at him.

 _You know I'm right. I'm not telling you anything you don't already think on your own. Can you at least admit that to yourself?_

Terry sits up and the boy moves aside. Why he does this, of course, Terry's not sure. It's not like the figure has any weight or mass to him. Just a figment…

"Fine," he growls through his teeth, "I want it…I want it _bad_."

 _So why not_ _ **take**_ _what you want…?_

"Because he's _twelve,_ " he explains, "Same age as my kid brother. It's fucked up."

 _So? If you want me so bad, just come_ _ **get me,**_ _Terry._

"He won't cooperate," Terry sneers, "He'll fight me."

 _I just need convincing. You need to_ _ **make me**_ _realize how bad I need you._ That voice moves closer to his ear. _How much I love you…_

Terry grits his teeth, digging his fingers into his own hair as he tries to ignore these thoughts.

 _Do I even still sound right to you? Or are you already forgetting the sound of my voice? Surely you wouldn't just let me go…?_

Taking a deep breath, Terry glances around at the photos on the walls. Edd's sweet, smiling face. Or those candid shots Eddy would take when his friend wasn't looking. Or those surprise snapshots Edd didn't have a chance to prepare for. No angle was wrong. Every one looked perfect: beautiful. He can feel that warmth return to his abdomen. _Dammit…_

He glances at the phantasmal figure, eyes narrowed. He's still giving him that sly grin; he knows he's won…

"Maybe you're right…" Terry relents, rising from the bed.

The boy gasps; _Really?!_ He sits up straighter. _You'll do it?!_

"Yeah," Terry mumbles as he approaches his dresser, "but there's a few things I gotta take care of first…"

 _What? Are you sure you're not just stalling longer?_

"Hell no," Terry scoffed, pulling out his clothes, "But I ain't an idiot. I gotta be careful about this." He pauses to glance around. "Gotta soundproof this trailer…this room…" He licks his lips. "Then I gotta figure out how to get my hands on 'im…"

He stops mumbling to himself, focusing instead on dressing himself.

 _When will you do it?_

"Dunno," Terry glances at him, "Soon enough, though…"

He receives a genuine smile in response to that.

 _You won't regret this…You know you won't. Once you've retrieved me, you can finally satisfy all of your deepest desires._

"Yup…" Terry scoffs, rolling his eyes as he turns back to his dresser, "And since I'm doing this, you think you can leave me alone?"

When he's met with silence, he glances back, only to find himself alone again.

Or…was he ever not?


	3. Ch 2 - Go For Bro

First on the agenda; soundproofing the room. That should be the easiest part. After taking the appropriate measurements of his little shrine room, he heads to a local hardware store and hits up the man behind the counter.

"Hey," he begins slyly as he sidles up to him, "I'm lookin' to soundproof part of my trailer…Got a few noise complaints…"

"Absolutely, sir," the worker replies with a smile, "Do you have measurements for the space you want to soundproof?"

Without another word, Terry retrieves a slip of paper from his pocket and hands it to the employee. He looks over the scribbled note, nodding some in understanding. After a moment, he glances back up to his customer.

"Alright!" he announces brightly, "Follow me and we'll get you all set up."

As the employee turns to lead him away, Terry allows a satisfied smirk to spread across his face. He's loaded up with many blocks of black, serrated foam in a bulk pack, several plates of wall paneling — also in a bundle — and several other various materials. The employee is even helpful enough to provide him with a set of instructions on how to install the foam. _Thank god I got the day off…_

The price makes his blood run a bit cold. He hadn't anticipated spending _quite_ that much on this little project. As he writes out the check, he resigns himself to the fact that it'll be at least another week before he can go fetch his little prize. He'll need to wait for his next paycheck for sure…Once he has his purchase loaded up into his van, he makes his way straight back to the amusement park.

On the way, however, he spots an adult store coming up on his right. With a grin, he pulls up to it and parks just before the door. The windows are blacked out, of course, and there's a large sign on the glass door prohibiting anyone under the age of 18 from entering. He scoffs. As if they uphold that bullshit. Kids probably sneak into this place all the goddamn time. That's how it was when _he_ was a kid, at least…

When he steps inside, he finds it's about what he expected. Low lighting, but somehow not grimy or unclean. Health concerns for certain products and all that. He ignores the bored-looking cashier and heads straight down the more intense-looking aisles. Whips and canes, spanking boards and clamps. As he looks them over, he ponders what, if any of these toys might be the most fun to use on Edd.

Any one of them would make him squirm and squeal in pain, but that's not completely what he wants. Sure, he wants to hurt him. Fuck, he wants to break the kid over and over. Make him scream. Make him cry. Make him beg for mercy that he'll only give once Edd professes his affections for him. He strokes his goatee, grinning wickedly. His eyes drift over chains hanging on the wall. Cocking his brow, he retrieves one of them and tugs on them to test their strength. The cuffs that are attached to the chains are lined with a soft, plush velvet. Enough to restrain someone without hurting them _too_ much. _These'll do nicely…_

At the very least, he _does_ need something to keep Edd from running away. He also decides to pick up a pair of regular handcuffs. These should come in handy during the pick-up. He spots a dark brown, leather collar and leash. With a wicked grin, he grabs that as well and licks his lips as he imagines putting this around Edd's pretty neck. He'll have to swing by some place that makes dog tags to attach to it. He also makes sure to grab an open mouth gag and a ball gag.

With that done, he decides to step away from the rest of that aisle for now. If he must, he can always come back later. Instead, he moves along to tour the rest of the store. Packages of sex toys in a variety of sizes and shapes and colors line the shelves. At the end of the aisle, he spots a shopping basket. With a shrug, he grabs one and starts loading it up with some of the packages. He snags several vibrators and a couple of dildos in varying sizes. He might have to start small when it comes to preparing his little Princess for the real thing, after all.

Before heading to the counter to ring up his purchase, he grabs a few bottles of lubricant. Like with the soundproofing panels, the price drives an unpleasant chill through him. _It'll be worth it…_ he tries to remind himself. It really will be. He'll make the money back over the next week or so anyway. It'll be fine. Mike's got him scheduled every day for the next week. He can make it work.

As he walks out with the black bags in hand, he checks his watch. It's still pretty early, so he's got the rest of the day to do whatever he wants. _Best to not waste any time, then._

After returning to the park, he brings his purchases inside his trailer to get to work. To begin, he takes down all of his beloved photos; he's not about to cover _those_ up. He collects them all and stows them carefully in the cabinet of his bedside table. The top drawer is reserved for the more 'entertaining' items he'd purchased today. Once the walls are bare again, he sets to work installing the foam. It's a long and tedious chore, he finds, and by the time he's done with the job, the sun has long since set and it's past midnight. He lays on his bed, sweaty and tired. He should probably eat as well before he turns in…

Or…maybe not. As he lies there, his exhausted body relaxes more and more until he drifts to sleep.

* * *

He wakes the next morning to a loud knocking on his front door. Groaning in discomfort, he pulls himself up and drags himself from the bedroom. His body is stiff and quite unresponsive and his stomach is grumbling its demand for food, which he tries to ignore as he opens the door. Bright light nearly blinds him and he must shield his eyes with his hand as the sunlight bursts in.

" _Oh fuck me, are you drunk_ _ **again?!**_ "

Terry groans again at that voice; "Whatdya want, _Michael?_ "

"It's two in the afternoon, ya drunk," Mike snaps back, "What the fuck are you playin' at, man? I give you the day off yesterday and you think you can just bail on me today?"

Terry rubs his face, breathing deep to wake himself up.

"Gimme a break…" he grumbles, "I was up late as hell last night workin' on a _bitch_ of a project." He yawns. "Musta forgot to set my alarm or somethin'."

He hears Mike sigh; "Alright, man. Just…get your shit together and get out here, dammit. We got inventory comin' in and I need ya to head to the loading bay."

"Fine…" Terry grumbled, "Gonna grab a shower. I'll be there in twenty."

"You fuckin' better," Mike scoffs, "I'd rather not fire ya, man. It's hard as fuck to find suckers to work here anymore for your shitty pay."

"Yeah yeah…" Terry waves him off, turning back into the trailer with another yawn.

He hears Mike walk off and he kicks the door shut with his foot. _Asshole._ With a groan, he trudges to the bathroom. A cold shower should wake him up. Then, after this crappy day is over, he can get back to his planning.

* * *

A few days have passed since that initial shopping trip. He curses his schedule and how fucking obnoxious it can be. Every day; stuck at the shitty rides or lugging around stock of the different food stuffs all around the park. Fucking bullshit. Because of this, he's barely had the time to continue making his plans.

The room itself, he's happy to say, is fully prepared. No sound should be able to get out of the room, let alone the trailer itself. And during one of his breaks, he'd managed to make a run to a convenience store that sold dog tags. And what he found was too good to be true. A gold tag in the shape of a heart and painted pink. By sheer luck, that particular style also happened to have one inscribed with the word 'Princess'. _Perfect._

What he has to work out now, though, is _how_ he's going to fetch Edd. He can't just head home and grab him. It'd draw too much attention. And he can't let Pipsqueak know he'll be around the cul-de-sac — they'd be able to find him after he abducts his little Princess. He's got to be careful about his approach. The handcuffs will restrain Edd once he's got his hands on him and he's got a pillowcase he can throw over the boy's head to keep him disoriented while they return to the trailer.

But how to get him into his van? Best method would likely be to knock him out. Of course, that inevitably leads to the question; how to go about doing that? He's always heard chloroform is the go-to when it comes to knocking someone out. But where to get that?

After a particularly stressful night, he sits at the kitchen table, pouring over a phone book in search of any place that may conceivably provide him with what he needs. It's a small town, so the book's not terribly thick, but it's still turning out to be a hell of a hunt. He's aware that there's no chance of purchasing the chemical at the local drug store. He'll have to go to a laboratory of some kind.

And then he finds what he's looking for. It's a bit of a drive, but there's a university roughly thirty minutes away. A school that likely has a chemistry department with a variety of chemicals such as, he hopes, chloroform. Before any of that, however, he has to wait for payday. His latest purchases have left him seriously strapped for cash, which he imagines he'll need plenty of in order to get a hold of the drug.

It's a rough wait, to be sure. His mood takes a serious nose dive in that time as he has to force himself to wait longer and longer. As a result, his patience wears more and more thin with the annoying parents that bitch and moan at him, leading him to snap more. On more than one occasion, he's pulled aside by one of his coworkers in an effort to both calm him down and separate him from the parents.

His beloved photos tend to help, providing him a distraction from his shitty mood. As it happens, a week after that last letter Pipsqueak just _had_ to send, another one arrives. In light of his impatience, Terry tears into both of them. The new pictures offer plenty of masturbatory fodder for him, but also provide a very important piece of information.

 _Hey Bro!_

 _Guess my last letter got lost in the mail or somethin? Oh well, it's cool. Anyway! I don't think I'm gonna be able to write you letters for a while. School's starting next week so me n' the boys are gonna be pretty busy. Speakin of which, you got any good school scam ideas I can try? All of ours keep failing…_

The letter went on, but, of course, it meant very little. No, now he had an update about Edd's upcoming schedule. It wasn't much. He didn't know how long they'd be in school on a given day or what kind of extracurriculars Edd might be interested in — though he's sure there will be several. The kid seemed to be very focused on school and must _jump_ at any chance to spend as much time there as possible, filling his schedule with whatever he can.

The information was little, but it was enough for him to move forward. Eddy said in his letter that they would be back in school in one week. That would give him more than enough time to finalize his plan. It's enough to settle him, at least, and keep his anger from bubbling up much more.

* * *

Finally, another day off arrives just after his paycheck is delivered. In spite of that, however, he manages to get himself out of bed around nine and is out of the trailer by ten, check in hand. After a quick stop at the bank, he makes his way to the address of the university.

The school itself only provides parking for students or official visitors, so he has to park his van about a block away. With that done, he heads back to the school and makes his way onto the grounds. Security around here is _shit_ , he notices as he slips into one of the chemistry buildings. That is, it's shit up until this point…Amidst the regular classrooms, he finally finds a chem lab, but is stopped by a locked door. He could easily pick it if it were a regular lock, but there's a card reader attached to the frame near the doorknob. _Fuck…_

He glances back, spotting a group of students approaching him. With a grimace, he walks away. A big group like that would land him in hot water. He skulks down the hallway, his head bowed. He takes the first turn he comes across and stops to wait. The group walks right past the lab, chatting excitedly about whatever class they're coming from. Terry rolls his eyes, sneering in disgust. _Entitled shits…_

Once they're out of sight, he glances back at the lab's door, pondering just how he can get inside. Moments later, however, another group of students file out. Like the other group, they're talking amongst each other, but their discussion is littered with unintelligible science jargon. More to the point, however, the group splits up almost immediately into smaller groups of two or three each. And then there's the straggler. A weasely-looking little fucker wearing glasses with thick lenses. A devious grin finds its way to Terry's lips as he discretely follows the kid out of the building.

The boy wanders from the chemistry building to a small alcove where a couple of vending machines stand. He approaches one that distributes coffee and makes his selection. Terry decides then to make his move.

"Hey kid," he announces, hands in his pockets, "Got a minute?"

The boy glances at him, looking him up and down in disgust before turning back to the machine whirring to life as it processes and prepares his order.

"What're you, the janitor or somethin'?" he scoffs, "Look, I don't have any money to spare, old man. Get lost."

Terry fights the intense urge to punch this little shit, and instead, takes a breath and forces a smile.

"Ain't lookin' for money," he informs him, "But I could use yer help…"

"Not interested."

"That's a damn shame…" Terry murmurs, checking his nails, "Cuz I _do_ have money and I'm willin' to pay for your help."

The boy laughs as his coffee pours into the cup that's presented for him.

"How much we talkin' here?" he chuckles, "Twenty-five cents?"

"How 'bout fifty bucks?" Terry offers smoothly, leaning against the machine.

 _That_ gets the kid's attention. He surveys Terry again before looking around.

"Look, man," he mumbles, "I'm no queer, okay? Whatever it is you want me to do…"

"I ain't lookin' for sex, kid," Terry grumbles. _Not a_ _ **total**_ _lie…_ "You hang out in that chem lab a lot?"

The kid glances in the direction of the building he'd just left, looking more uncomfortable.

"Um…yeah," he shrugs, "…Why do you ask?"

"Cuz I need you to get me somethin' that I'm willin' to bet is inside."

The boy looks no less uncomfortable, but slightly interested.

"What…are you lookin' to get?"

"I need me a bottle of chloroform," Terry answers, "Don't have to be much. And if you get it for me, I'll pay ya fifty bucks."

He watches the worried look pass over the boy's face before the kid rubs the back of his neck.

"I dunno…" he mumbles, "I could get in some serious trouble…"

"You don't have to swipe a big-ass' bottle, kid," Terry reiterates, "Just get yourself a smaller bottle to put it in and bring it to me."

The boy still looks unsure, drawing another groan from Terry.

" _C'mon,_ kid," he sneers, "Fifty bucks can go a long way for you. Get ya a decent meal and help ya pay for one of them books?"

That strikes a nerve, making the kid a bit more antsy. He glances around again.

"Seventy-five," he says suddenly.

"What?"

"Seventy-five," he repeats, "I'll do it for seventy-five dollars."

Terry sneers; "This ain't a negotiation, kid. Fifty bucks."

"You seem to need this really badly," the boy notes, shrugging, "I'm only looking out for my own interests. I could get expelled if I'm caught over this, so if I'm going to break the rules, I intend to get my money's worth."

Terry seethes; smart little shit…Although, he must admit he's a little pleased to see a book smart kid who's not totally naive. He straightens up a bit.

"Fifty-five."

"Seventy."

"Sixty and not a penny more."

The boy looks into his eyes, searching for any sign that he can go higher. Clearly, the man's not playing around, drawing him to sigh.

"Fine, sixty," he sighs.

"Deal," Terry nods towards the building, "Get to it."

"Where's the money?" the kid asks, "I told you, this is a huge deal. I'm not doing this without compensation."

"You'll get it when you do the job," Terry retorts.

"No way!" the boy says with a glare, "I don't trust you to pay me after it's done. How do I know you even have the money _now?_ "

With a groan, Terry retrieves his wallet, and removes two twenty dollar bills and two tens. He waves them toward the kid, his look cold and hard.

"I'm good for it," he spits through his teeth.

The boy shifts a bit where he stands, licking his lips a little; "Half now?"

Terry looks him over, surprised by his offer. The kid stands a little straighter.

"Give me half now, then the rest after I give you the bottle?" he suggests.

Again, Terry's surprised. He didn't expect this kid to be _this_ street smart. However, it's going to get him what he needs, so…

"Deal," he says simply, handing him one of the twenties and one of the tens, "You get the rest when I see the bottle."

The kid looks over the money, wide-eyed that it's real. That awe is short-lived, however, as Terry grabs his shirt and draws his attention again.

"Don't fuck me on this, kid," he warns, "Get me what I need, then you'll get the rest of your money and you'll never see me again. You got that?"

The boy searches his face, but nods a moment later. With that, Terry lets him go.

"Can you do it now?"

Another nod in response; "There won't be another class in there for at least an hour…Teachers don't hang out during that time."

"Good, get to it then," Terry growls.

Without anymore hesitation, the boy takes off, forgetting his coffee.

"And kid!" Terry calls, stopping him. He gives the boy as intimidating a look as he can manage. "I'll be watching."

Shivering, the boy races off, straight back to the chem lab. Terry glances to the coffee left behind and shrugs before grabbing the cup. He looks over it before taking a sip. Immediately, he spits it back out, groaning in disgust. Leave it to such a pussy to order a coffee with _that_ much cream and sugar…Rolling his eyes, he throws the cup away and walks back to the building as well.

* * *

He stands outside the lab, glaring at the door as he waits for roughly fifteen minutes. With each passing minute, he considers docking a dollar from the kid's pay. _I'd be back to fifty bucks — or even less than that by now…_ As he starts to think that, though, the door opens and the boy walks out, looking damn guilty. Terry grins a bit as he's noticed and the kid approaches him. In his hands is a small bottle full of a clear liquid. It has a label that shows all of the chemical information for chloroform, but Terry cocks his brow in suspicion.

"You were in there a damn long time," he notes with a sneer, "Is that _really_ what I asked for? Or did you fill that with water?"

The boy looks a bit irritated, but shakes his head; "No…Didn't…think of that. They keep the chemicals locked up. I had to find the key first."

"Oh really?" Terry sneers, "And where did you find this key?"

"Mr. Klassen left them in his desk," the kid answered, reaching into his pocket, "I even…brought them out with me…"

To prove this, he retrieves a set of keys with a tag attached to them. The edges of the tag are worn and it's a yellowish brown in color. To protect the aged tag, it's been laminated, protecting the information written upon it. In faded blue ink on the name line is ' _Prof. T. Klassen._ ' Terry gives him a satisfied smirk.

"Very good," he purrs, retrieving the thirty dollars from his shirt pocket and holding the bills toward the boy.

He holds his other hand towards the bottle, urging him to hand it over. The boy complies, reaching for the money. For a split second, Terry considers holding it away. He's got the drug, why not keep the money as well? However, he allows the boy to take it. He can't let the kid report him to the police. Granted, he never gave him his name, but the boy could describe him easily. Best not give him a reason to turn him in…

"Nice doin' business with ya, kid," he chuckles, turning the bottle over in his hands, "Now, just one more thing I'm gonna need ya to do."

"Wh…What's that…?" the boy stutters.

Terry pockets the bottle before grabbing his shirt again, yanking him close as he glares into his eyes.

"You're gonna forget my fuckin' face, that's what," he snarls, "You never saw me. You never spoke to me. Got it?"

Wide-eyed, the kid nods in understanding. Satisfied, Terry lets him go.

"Good," he chuckles, turning away and giving a casual wave, "Welp, I'm outta here. If I were you, I'd put those keys back before your teach finds out."

Without another word, Terry leaves, never once looking back.

* * *

Before returning home, he stops off at the hardware store again and picks up a few extra locks. Just a little added security that he'd nearly forgotten. When he returns to the park, he drops the bottle and the locks off at his place before heading straight to Mike's office trailer. He pounds his fist on the door, leaning against the door frame. Mike opens the door moments later, looking surprised.

"What're _you_ doin' here?" he asks, "Shouldn't you be off gettin' shit-faced?"

"You just assume I do nothing else with my time?" Terry scoffs back.

"I've never _seen_ you do anything else with your time, so…?"

Terry rolls his eyes; "Look, you got a minute? I need to talk about my schedule."

"What, you want _more_ time off?" Mike scoffs.

"Kind've…"

Mike rolls his eyes, turning back to his office.

"God dammit, Terry," he groans, plopping into the chair behind his desk, "I can't keep giving you all this time off. You gotta do _some_ work, y'know?"

Terry follows him, grimacing as he takes a seat in the chair across from him; "I'm aware. I never said I didn't wanna work. I just need a week off."

"What the fuck for?!" Mike guffaws.

Terry bites his lip, looking away; "I gotta head home for a bit. It's…kind've an emergency."

Mike shrugs, giving him an incredulous look; "Who died?"

 _There's a thought…_

"My…uh…" Terry sighs, hoping it looks like he's sorrowful, "My grandad, actually…"

"Oh…" Mike looks genuinely taken aback, "Uh…S-Sorry to hear that, uh…When did, uh…When did it happen?"

"It hasn't _yet,_ " Terry admits, "But my folks said it could be any day. And they want me to be home when it happens. I can still probably work the rest of this week, but…" He bites his lip again, thinking about Eddy's letter. "Sometime next week? Maybe even the week after?"

Mike sighs, sitting back. He drags his hand down his face, thinking carefully.

"I got you on till next Saturday," he states carefully, "Y'think you can stick around till then?"

Terry looks away, pretending to think that over. _Perfect._

"I guess that'll work," he nods, "The folks'll understand, I'm sure."

"Okay, I'll keep ya off the schedule after next week," Mike informs him, "But I'm _only_ givin' you a week, Terry. You gotta be back after that."

"Done."

With that, he rises to his feet again.

"Don't forget, you're on tomorrow mornin'," Mike adds as Terry steps out of the office.

"Right."

* * *

As Terry enters his trailer, he finds he can hardly contain his excitement. It's all sorted. The chloroform sits on his kitchen table, ready to be used. His bedroom is soundproofed. The toys are hidden away in his bedside table, along with his many pictures. As he enters the bedroom, peeling off his over shirt and jersey, he reaches into the cabinet to retrieve some of those pictures. The dog tag is resting on the table top, glinting in the light of the lamp above it. With a grin, he takes the tag in hand to admire it.

"It'll look so damn pretty on you, Princess…" he chuckles, "Won't be long now, and I can see you wearing it…"


	4. Ch 3 - Keep Your Eyes PeelEdd

Monday. Finally.

Terry climbs into his van, going over a checklist in his head. The chloroform, rag, and handcuffs are nestled safely in his glove compartment. He's got a mattress in the back, along with a pillow and blanket and the separate pillow case he'll be putting over Edd's head. Just behind his seat, he's loaded a cooler with ice and beer. He's got a bag with extra clothes as well so he's not stuck in the same clothes for the week. On his key chain, he's also been sure to add his old house key. While the kids are in school and the adults are out, he can slip into his parent's house to possibly nab a shower should he need it or even steal some food.

He could have done all this yesterday, of course, but he didn't want to risk heading home with the kids being out of school for sure and the parents possibly home as well. It also gave him plenty of time to secure the locks on the bedroom and bathroom doors in his trailer and an extra day to plan.

Once he's sure he's got everything he needs, he turns back to the wheel and starts up the van. One week. He's got one week to get his hands on Edd and bring him back here. _Easy._ With that in mind and one last look back at his trailer, he drives away.

* * *

The drive itself is smooth, but a massive pain. Two hours of staring at the monotonous road before him. It's enough to drive him mad with impatience. His eyes constantly flicker to the clock on the dashboard and his thumb raps relentlessly on the wheel in tandem with his bouncing knee. The only thing that keeps him sane — or as close to sane as he could claim — is the knowledge that he'll finally have his Princess in his sights. He'll hear his voice again. And, most importantly, he'll finally get to touch him.

He arrives in the cul-de-sac sometime after one o'clock, meaning that school should still be in session. Despite that, though, Terry chooses to tread carefully; just in case his brother was wrong about when they'd be back in school. With that in mind, he steers clear of the neighborhood altogether, opting instead to drive down a nearby road in search of some place to hide out.

To his fortune, he spots a familiar-looking home with severely overgrown grass. The house itself is run down and decrepit, not unlike how he remembers it being when he was a kid. With a satisfied grin, he pulls into the driveway and then continues around to the backyard. The landscape is even worse back here, but the grass bends easily beneath his tires. He's not afraid to be called out by some homeowner. The place was abandoned when he was still living here and, judging by the lack of any kind of upkeep, it's clearly still abandoned now. It'll be the perfect place to keep the van while he keeps an eye on Edd.

Now that that's done, it's time to find a place out of sight where he can observe Edd's routine. He takes a long detour through the woods that surrounds the cul-de-sac and makes his way to his parent's place. The neighborhood is almost eerily quiet, a sure sign that the kids are stuck in class. The driveways are also quite empty, which dulls Terry's worry some. He glances at his watch: 1:45. He's still got some time before the little ankle biters are scheduled to be home. That's enough incentive for him to slip into his parent's house for a bite to eat.

He grimaces some as he enters the kitchen. Place hasn't changed much since he left. He prepares himself a sandwich and grabs a beer from his dad's stash. He doesn't bother cleaning the dishes — no one will know the difference. With food in hand, he meanders his way upstairs in search of his old room. He's not at all surprised when he finds his door concealed by the familiar hideous wallpaper, but it draws a grimace from him. Even little Eddy, it seems, hasn't tried to sneak in. _Dammit._ It'd be too suspicious for him to break the seal and enter now. Rolling his eyes, he decides to head down to Eddy's room instead.

As he walks in, he feels a bristle of jealousy. The little Pipsqueak got one of the nicer rooms in the fuckin' house. It was way too big for the shrimp to use the entire space and he couldn't deny that it was a bit insulting that his kid brother got this sweet pad while he'd been stuck in that dingy-ass crawlspace. As he lounges on the large, lavish bed, it gives him no remorse to leave as much of a mess behind as possible. He almost wants to dump his beer all over the sheets — let the old man bust the little brat for drinking. However, he nixes that idea. If Eddy's stuck at home, it'd just make fetching his Princess that much more difficult. From what he could tell, the three boys were inseparable. The way Eddy went on about his friends was a clear indication of just how much time they spent together. That said, nabbing Edd might be tougher than he'd originally thought…

Once done with his meal, he rises to his feet. He should probably grab something for tonight too and maybe for tomorrow morning? He wanders back into the kitchen and peruses the pantry. There's an unopened box of Chunky Puffs, but he's quite sure the family would notice that's gone. He also spots a bag of pretzels that looks about half full, though. _That'll work_. It'll keep his hunger at bay until he can find himself a drive thru or something and would make for a light breakfast in the morning. Great. As he pockets the pretzels, he grabs a beer for the road as well.

Spoils in hand, he slips back out of the house and locks it back up. Still no sign of life from the other houses. The adults must all be working today. Despite this, he slinks through backyards, peeking out at the various homes in an effort to pick out which one might house his little darling. Unfortunately, he can only rule out two; his own parent's place (obviously) and a house across the street. There's a barn with farm animals crawling all around that yard. No way Edd would live in a place like that.

With so little to go on, he begins questioning his goal. Is this really worth it? He's got no real leads to go on and a neighborhood crawling with kids will make sneaking around tough…It's a thought that's quickly abandoned though. Of course it's worth it. It has to be. Taking a swig of his second beer, he makes his way towards the creek. With the fall weather setting in, it'll be unlikely for any kid to come around here. But wandering through the woods…

He strokes his goatee in thought. It wouldn't be unheard of for any of the kids to take the trails on the way home from school. They made for a good shortcut and made the escape from the classroom all the sweeter.

Speaking of school…He sighs a bit as he realizes he should probably stake out the school as well. Map out a path that the kids might take and all that. If memory serves, it isn't very far from the woods. He passes the trailer park: just as grimy as ever. As he nears the road, he spots the school coming into view. Peach Creek Junior High. He wretches at the memories of shitty teachers, annoying tests, and even more annoying classmates. He observes the building, wondering how much longer it will be until class ends. Damn, he could use a smoke. He tries to avoid it, though. If anyone comes around, he doesn't want to alert them to his presence with a cigarette. Plus, if the kids are about to walk out, the smell of smoke might blow his cover. Best to wait until he's back at his van or in town. He's at least far enough from the entrance of the school that he shouldn't be noticed as the kids leave and if he needs to slip back into the woods, he can.

He's not waiting long before the doors open and children begin pouring out, talking loudly amongst each other. His eyes narrow as he ducks into the shadows of the woods. Licking his lips, he scans the crowd, searching for that familiar black hat or bright orange shirt.

He spots the taller Ed first, laughing like an idiot. But Edd is beside him, smiling and chatting excitedly about something or other. Terry grins wickedly, his fingers curling against the bark of the tree he's standing behind. Pictures don't do it justice…That pretty face looks even better in person. He starts noticing little quirks in Edd's movements. When he laughs, he tries to cover his mouth. Is he self-conscious about his gap? Fuckin' bullshit. That's one of the most adorable things about him. He has an odd gait to his walk, but something about it is still pretty cute. When he's not covering his giggles, his hands wrap around the strap of his messenger bag.

Edd's happy smile fades as he directs his attention to his right and down, where Eddy's bitching about something that's likely stupid. Rolling his eyes, Edd makes a comment towards him that makes Eddy groan. Terry grits his teeth, doing his best to stay out of sight. He does, however, try to get close enough to hear what they're saying.

"… _even what's got you so upset?_ " he manages to hear Edd ask, his tone sounding tired.

" _No shit!_ " Eddy snaps back, " _We've only been back a_ _ **week**_ _and you're already goin' on about extra credit shit on_ _ **top**_ _of that stupid fuck test Mrs. Miller threatened us with?!_ "

Edd groans a little; " _Eddy,_ _ **please**_ _mind your language!_ " He sighs. " _I understand you're frustrated, but we have until_ _ **Friday**_ _to study! That's_ _ **more**_ _than enough time to go over the material we've been given so far._ "

" _It's just not_ _ **fair!**_ " Eddy points out, " _One week in and they already wanna test us?!_ "

Ed joins the conversation in a whining voice; " _Tests are_ _ **bad**_ _for Ed, Double D!_ "

Edd pauses before answering.

" _I suppose I see your point…_ " he mumbles reluctantly, " _It_ _ **does**_ _seem to be a bit early for this…_ " He changes his tone, trying to sound more hopeful. " _But I'm sure she just wants to keep us on our toes this year. And, honestly, gentlemen, if you would just_ _ **do your homework**_ _and_ _ **pay attention,**_ _you may find those tests aren't as challenging as you're making them out to be._ "

Terry stifles a laugh at that. No amount of homework or 'paying attention' could help those two morons…And they seem to share that sentiment.

" _I don't_ _ **wanna**_ _do my homework!_ " Ed whines.

" _Yeah!_ " Eddy concurs, " _Homework blows!_ "

Terry hears Edd give a weary sigh, likely dropping the matter. It makes the man grimace a bit. Those two little fucks don't appreciate Edd the way they should. They don't know how good they've got it. He looks back at them, finding Eddy to have begun picking up his pace.

" _C'mon, boys!_ " he commands, " _I gotta get home and check the mail before my parents can!_ "

Edd follows the order as best he can; " _Are you expecting an important delivery?_ "

" _I'm 'expecting' a letter from my brother!_ " Eddy explains smugly, " _He shoulda had_ _ **more**_ _than enough time to write back by now!_ "

Without another word, the boys book it back to the cul-de-sac, never the wiser to their observer. Terry doesn't follow them immediately, thinking carefully about what he's just heard. He's sure some of it will come in handy later, so he tries to commit it to memory now. A test on Friday that two of the three boys are dreading. Eddy's eagerness to get home to check the mail _and_ his desperate hope to hear back from his brother. He strokes his goatee in thought before deciding he's waited long enough and following the kids back to the cul-de-sac.

He decides upon his return that he hates the kids in this crappy neighborhood. Annoying little snots, all running about and being obnoxious. Some little shit in a red hat speeds by on some kinda suped-up bicycle. The kid might've spotted him if Terry hadn't been concealed by the foliage of the woods. Two of the smaller kids gather together in front of the green house to play with dolls. A couple of little girls, as far as he can tell; a red-head with a shrill, banshee voice, and a little blonde with a weird, fluffy hairdo and headgear.

The house with the barn and farm animals is being worked by a tall, lanky boy with dark hair and a funny voice, who screeches commands at the animals around him. He recalls seeing an older blonde girl balancing on the front of that red hat kid's bike, but the two of them are nowhere in sight at the moment. Probably off somewhere suckin' face…

Unfortunately, he can't even stay in the woods for long. Some hippie-dippy brat carrying a plank of wood with a face scribbled on it starts venturing his way to climb up the trees. He slips away unnoticed, and takes a long detour down the lane, grateful for the tall fence between himself and the kids. On the other side of said fence, he hears their jovial antics, drawing him to roll his eyes. He finds himself on the side of the cul-de-sac across the street from his parent's place. The trees here are more dense, providing more covering.

With a sigh, he finds a tree near the street, which he stops to lean against. He drags his hand down his face, groaning softly. These kids are more annoying than the ones at the park. How's he going to get the information he needs with all these brats crawling around? He's not even sure where the Eds have gone at this point. They could be at his parent's place, or one of their own homes. Or somewhere else entirely?

He stands a little straighter, pushing himself off the tree. There's nothing he can do right now. He'll have to come back later, when the kids are settling in for dinner. He reluctantly walks away from the cul-de-sac, rubbing his temple as he carefully considers his options.

As he makes his way into town, he spots a phone booth up ahead near a telephone pole. Brow cocked, he steps inside and shuts the door behind him. Turning back to the phone, he spots what he's looking for. A phone book sits on a tiny shelf situated in the corner. It looks grimy and ridiculously old, but it _should_ have the information he's looking for.

That blessed phone call is still so damn clear in his mind, but the actual details are a little hazy. Though he remembers Edd's voice, he doesn't remember much of what he actually said. However, he does _vaguely_ recall that Edd had given his first _and_ last name to him when he introduced himself. Something with a 'v'…? He opens up the phone book and flips through the pages. He goes straight to the 's's first. If his family's listed in here, Edd's should be as well.

There it is…' _Sampson, Tony — 220 Rethink Ave._ ' Good sign. He then flips to the 'v's. He skims the page, looking for any name that sounds familiar. _Valentine?_ No… _Vallieres?_ Nope… _Van Fartonshmeer?_ Hilarious, but no. _Vincent…_ He pauses to think. That _does_ sound familiar…There are several Vincents on the list. The addresses next…There's only one on the list located on that street. Some guy named Samuel at 215 Rethink. That looks about right.

Satisfied, Terry rips the page out of the book and pockets it before exiting the phone booth again. It's still not a lot to go on, and he still needs to come up with a decent plan of attack, but it's a start. There's a diner farther down the street, which he decides to take refuge in. He's seated at a booth, where he buries his face in his hands. What a mess this is…

" _What can I get you today, sir?_ "

He glances up to find a pretty brunette standing by his table. She offers him a friendly smile as she waits with pen and pad in hand.

"Just a coffee…" he grumbles back, rubbing his forehead, "and a pen if ya got one to spare?"

"Sure," she retorts, whipping a pen from her apron and handing it to him, "I'll bring your coffee right out."

He nods to her as he grabs the pen. Without another word, she leaves him be. Now that he has something to write with, he retrieves the page from his pocket and smooths it out on the table. First thing's first, he circles the Vincent's address — highlighting it for himself. On the rest of the page, he works out his ideas. He has an address now; he could break into Edd's house and snatch him tonight…? He sneers. No, that won't work…Surely the kid's parents will be home and would stop him…? And besides that, even if he managed to slip in without the parent's knowing, getting Edd _out_ without drawing attention from the rest of the neighborhood would be near impossible. Maybe he could slip into his own parent's house while the Eds were there? Take Edd while the parents are still out? Grr…No. That won't work either. Ed and Eddy would be able to identify him to the police and he wouldn't get anywhere with Edd…

His cup of coffee is set on the table in front of him, drawing him from his thoughts.

"Is there anything else I can get for you, sir?" the waitress asks, "Cream? Sugar? Would you like a menu?"

Terry shakes his head, massaging his temple with one hand while grabbing the handle of the mug with the other.

"Well…okay then," she stutters, "I'll bring you the check…"

"Thanks…"

He sighs, taking a sip from the cup as she walks away again. The bitter taste is just what he needs to help clear his thoughts. Though…he grimaces. The coffee itself tastes like shit. He imagines they didn't bother to make another pot for one person after noon. Not too surprising. This dive's never been known for its gourmet cooking…

Shaking his head, he turns his attention back to his planning. What can he do to get Edd alone…? Away from his friends…? It'll have to be after school. No way he'll be able to get Edd out of class. But after school, the Eds just rush home and spend all their time together. Hmm…The rush home…Eddy was desperate to get home because he was waiting to hear from his brother. If Ed and Eddy couldn't get home, would there be incentive for them to make Edd rush home for them? But he hasn't written Eddy back in weeks. Would he be that concerned if he couldn't make it home for one day?

He'll need to _give_ him that incentive…

The waitress returns again and leaves a slip of paper on the table, adding a "Have a nice day" before returning to her other duties. Terry fishes around in his pocket for a dollar and some change — the coffee here's about as cheap as it tastes. He leaves the money and rises from the table. He walks out of the diner and heads straight for the office supply store further down the block. There are signs up all over promoting an ongoing back-to-school sale.

He's in and out quickly. Just need to get some paper, an envelope, and some pens. Oh, and a stamp for authenticity. He also grabs a battery-powered alarm clock (and some batteries, of course), knowing that he'll have to get up relatively early tomorrow to set his plans in motion. Once he's got his purchase, he heads out and makes his way to a fast food joint he saw on his way into town. He won't be able to do this if he doesn't have some light to work by, which he doubts he'll have any of in that abandoned house.

After ordering himself some fries to start himself off, he sits down at a table near the back of the restaurant. How to word this…? What was it Eddy said in his last letter? Somethin' about wanting a new scam idea…? Smoothing out a sheet of paper, he grabs one of the pens and begins writing.

 _Good news, Pipsqueak,_

 _I got just what you need. The perfect scam that's guaranteed not to fail. Woulda wrote back sooner but it took a while to get all the supplies. But by the time you get this, the first package will be on its way with your instructions. Hell, if anything, you might get it within a day or so of this letter. So keep a close eye on the mail, little brother, and you'll get one hell of a treat. Don't let mom and dad find out either. You know how they'll freak about this._

He pauses, thinking carefully. This'll get Eddy excited about the mail, but how to keep him at school…? Detention is sure to keep him away from home for at least an hour, right? So how to get detention? He smirks, putting the pen back to paper.

 _In the meantime, I got a real fast money-maker in mind for you. You're back in school, right? That means you're probably gonna start takin' tests soon. And nobody likes those_ _ **.**_ _But everybody likes passin' 'em. And kids'll pay big money for answers to those tests._

 _So, here's what you do. Durin' lunch, you n' that big guy you pal around with — Ed, right? — you two sneak into yer teacher's classroom and swipe the answers from her desk. Then the two of you make a shit load of copies and sell 'em to the other kids._

 _One more thing, Pipsqueak. Leave your other friend outta this. After everything you told me about this Double D kid, he wouldn't be cool with helping you break this kinda rule — especially at school. And I'm willin' to bet money he'd rat you out for a scam like this. You know I'm right. So keep this between you n' the big guy. Got it?_

 _You pull this off, and you're golden, bro. Just remember. Keep an eye on the mail and make sure the folks don't get to the mailbox before you. Otherwise, they'll stop you from makin' yer money._

He pauses, thinking about anything else he'd have to add. When he's satisfied, he signs the letter 'Big Bro' and folds it up. He fills out the envelope with the appropriate information — using his address at the park for the return address and so on. After sealing the letter within the envelope, he attaches the stamp and sits back, pleased. There's no way the little pipsqueak would get away with that scam. He and Ed will get stuck in detention while Edd can head home alone. Right into his arms. To celebrate his own brilliance, he orders a nice combo meal (after securing the letter in his bag with the alarm clock, of course).

* * *

Full and content, he heads back towards the cul-de-sac while puffing on a cigarette. It's still pretty early, so he doesn't get too close to the neighborhood. Instead, he heads straight back to his little hideout and to his van to deposit his purchase and the letter. He's still got some soda left over from his meal which he's enjoying while it's still cold and the ice is relatively unmelted. He reclines on his mattress, staring up at the blue sky through the windshield as he extinguishes the cigarette on the floor of the van. He sort of wants to check out the abandoned house to pass the time, but his own boredom has him feeling too lazy. The wait is unbearable. To that point, he doesn't even try to stay awake any longer.

* * *

He's roused hours later. Nothing in particular wakes him that he can tell. Perhaps a discomfort with his sleeping arrangements? Or his impatience just has him on edge? Either way, he's up now. It's considerably darker in the van. When he glances out the windshield, he finds that the sun has set low in the sky, creating an orange glow outside. Brow furrowed, Terry checks his watch, squinting in the dark. He opens the door of his van to get more light. 8:00. He yawns as he glances around. He could be wrong, but he's fairly certain it's still night. To be sure, he starts the van to turn on radio. The clock there reads 8:00 P.M. Yup. Still night.

Rubbing his eyes, he shuts the van off again and drags himself out of the vehicle. After a couple of languid stretches, he decides to check back with the cul-de-sac. The kids are surely back home by now. He can figure out which house is Edd's and perhaps get a nice peek at him again. Retrieving the phone book page, he locks up the van and heads out.

He doesn't dare light up a cigarette on this walk. Maybe on the way back, but not yet. The streetlights have begun to come on, so he treads carefully; sticking to the shadows to avoid any passerby. When he approaches Rethink Avenue, he does so on the left side of the street. He can just make out his folk's place on the other side. Many of the driveways are occupied, and lights are on in every home. Parents are back. With that in mind, he slips into the woods, hoping he won't be noticed.

Glancing at the paper, he searches for the address again. 215 Rethink Avenue. It won't be on either side of his old house or even on that side of the street. He's gotta be close. Licking his lips, he slinks along the side of the first house, avoiding windows and hoping the occupants don't notice him. He finally makes it to the front of the house and looks for any sign of address numbers. There's a mailbox next to the door, where he can just make out the three numbers: _215_. He's taken aback for a moment, shocked that his first try would be the right one.

That fades fast from his thoughts, though. This is it. This is Edd's place…right? He sees that there are no cars in this driveway, but the lights _are_ on. Confused, he slips back around the house and starts peeking in through the windows. No one in the living room. The next window shows the kitchen and, he's pleased to find, the lone occupant inside. It's Edd's house alright. The object of his desires is milling around the kitchen, making dinner.

Terry's brow furrows and he glances around at other vantage points. Most of the windows on the upper floor are dark — indicating no one's upstairs — and there's really no other rooms that are occupied. Where are Edd's parents? It occurs to him as he watches Edd pour himself a single serving of macaroni and cheese that the kid is home alone. He sees a lot of something yellow all over the walls, but can't make out what they are. Aside from them, though, everything he can see looks impeccable. Clearly, the place is well maintained, just…empty?

As Edd sits down to eat, Terry debates whether or not he should just break in and take him now. If no one else is home, it wouldn't be _that_ difficult. He could rush him back to his van and make a break for it? No…No, he can't. There's still people around and driving past this street. He'd be caught pretty quick. No, best to just watch him for now.

It's kind've sad, he notes as Edd eats alone. No one home for Edd to talk to or keep him company. It sends a wave of rage through the man. Edd's parents don't deserve him either. They would leave this little angel all alone? Fuckin' careless. What makes him angrier, though, is that the boy doesn't look at all upset by any of this. He doesn't look lonely or sad that no one's home. This is clearly a regular occurrence. _He's used to this._ Disgusting.

With a growl, he turns away and stomps back toward the van. He can't watch this any more or he'll do something drastic. Once he's back at the van, he lights up a cigarette. Something — _anything_ — to take his mind off his rage. Motherfuckers…How fuckin' _dare_ they leave Edd alone like that? Taking him for granted. He sneers. They'll fuckin' regret that shit. Once he's got his hands on his little Princess, he won't let him know loneliness. He won't leave Edd alone like that. Sure, he'll have to work to earn money, but he'll at least be there to eat with him. Shower him with compliments and affection. Treat him like the little Princess he is.

Breathing deep, he tries to calm himself down. Reaching into the plastic bag, he retrieves his alarm clock and the batteries. Once he's got it on and the LED numbers are blinking, he starts up his van again to get an accurate time and set the alarm. 8:00 A.M. should be a good enough time to get himself up. Gives him plenty of time to rest before then. Setting the clock aside, he decides to go grab himself something to eat to possibly help him get to sleep faster.

Tomorrow he can get serious.


	5. Ch 4 - MethEdd to My Madness

Terry's jolted from his sleep by the door of his van sliding open. Reflexively, he shoots up, his fist raised to strike whoever dared to try to sneak up on him. He stops dead, however, when he comes face to face with his Princess. At first, Edd quivers by the door, half-hiding behind it. After a moment, though, he smiles.

"You really _did_ come…" he murmurs softly.

He pulls himself up into the van and shuts the door behind him. Removing his messenger bag, he turns back to Terry.

"I managed to get away from Ed and Eddy on the way to school," he explains as he crawls over to him.

Terry shakes his head in disbelief before grinning wickedly.

"I wasn't expectin' you, sweetheart," he coos as he shoves the blanket away, "Wasn't gonna come get you till tomorrow."

As Edd climbs into his lap, he gives him a pout; "You were gonna make me wait that long?"

"Not much choice, Princess," Terry replies, his hands sliding up the boy's sides.

"You came to see me last night…" Edd notes, swaying his shoulders, "Why'd you make me wait?"

"Too many witnesses."

Edd bows his head, leaning against the man's shoulder.

"I was so lonely, Terry…" he mumbles, nuzzling him affectionately before rising to speak into his ear, "You'll make me feel wanted…won't you?"

That's more than enough incentive. Fuck getting back to his trailer.

He shoves the boy down onto the mattress and smashes his lips against Edd's. Their teeth clack together in their fervent need to get as close as possible. Terry digs his fingers into the silky black hair, knocking the boy's hat off as Edd claws at his shoulders, moaning softly. Their clothes are rid of them in moments in their desperate need to feel skin on skin.

Before Terry leans back in to kiss him again, however, a thought occurs to him, making him stop. Edd gazes up at him, wide-eyed.

"Wh-What's wrong…?"

"Dammit…" Terry growls, glancing up at the driver's seat, "I left the lube at home…Ain't no way I can fuck you without it…"

"Oh…is that all…?"

Taken aback, Terry turns back to him to find Edd slipping out from under him to crawl over to his messenger bag. He rifles through it for a moment before retrieving a small tube. He looks up at the man shyly before returning to his side.

"I found it in mother's beside drawer…" he admits.

A bottle of lubricant. Didn't see that coming…He smirks, taking the tube from the small hand as he grins coyly at the boy.

"Wouldn't have guessed you'd come so…prepared?"

Edd's shoulders hunch a bit; "I told you…I've been lonely…"

Fuck…He pulls Edd back into his lap, kissing him deeply. Moaning, he almost hates to let go as he lays the boy back on the mattress. But it'll be fuckin' _worth_ it…So _fuckin'_ worth it!

He squeezes out a generous amount of the lube and rubs it all over his fingers before returning his attention to his prey. Edd spreads his legs, exposing himself completely to the man above him.

"Be gentle…" he breathes.

Terry scoffs at that, leaning over him; "No fuckin' promises, _Princess._ "

As he begins pressing the first finger in, Edd hisses in pain and arches his back. Terry distracts him with more kisses to his lips and jaw as he carefully stretches him. One finger, then two; scissoring them so that he can make room for the third. The sounds Edd's making are fucking heavenly. Panting and whimpering interspersed with little gasps and moans. So damn good. Terry removes his fingers and grabs the lube again, drawing Edd to glance at him through his half-lidded eyes. He quivers as Terry coats his cock with the lubricant, stroking himself as he rubs Edd's hip with his other hand.

"You ready, Princess…?"

Edd nods at him, squirming impatiently on the mattress. Terry grins down at him, his grip on the boy's hip tightening as he begins pressing his cock to the reddened hole. Finally…Fucking _finally!_

* * *

The alarm blaring by his head shocks Terry from his slumber. Even after shutting it off, his heart is racing from the adrenaline. He takes several minutes to calm himself as he rises to sit up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He'd nearly forgotten how fuckin' early eight a.m. actually is…He notices his erection beneath the blanket, which draws an irritable groan from him. Just when it was getting to the _good part_ …Biting his lip, he lays back down and closes his eyes again. He's got just the thing…

Picturing his little Princess beneath him again, moaning and whimpering as he fucks him. He strokes himself in time with the thrusts he imagines. That dream must've got him damn close because it takes no time at all for him to orgasm from his fantasy.

As he comes down from that high, he grabs a couple of pretzels from the bag he'd laid in the passenger's seat and munches on them in hopes that they may help wake him more. A sip from his soda — ugh…flat — and a few minutes to calm his breathing and he decides he's awake enough. After cleaning himself up with the plaid shirt he'd slept in, he grabs a fresh change of clothes from his overnight bag and the letter before opening the door of the van.

The sunlight isn't quite as blinding as he was expecting as he steps out into the early morning air. In fact, there are dark clouds up above that obscure the sky, indicating a likely storm. He stretches, grunting as his back and neck pop. It's almost refreshing out here. Thank god — since he left his soiled over shirt in the van — but that's not important. He's got shit to do and not a whole lot of time to do it. Yawning, he locks up the van and pockets his keys before setting out towards the cul-de-sac.

He tries to steer clear of the road, just in case his parents haven't yet left for work. He sneaks through the woods, stopping momentarily to check in on his Princess. Somehow, though, the house looks more uninhabited than the night before. He checks his watch: 8:15. The kids are likely already in school. But what about the adults?

Terry sneaks around to the left side of the house, between Edd's home and his neighbor's, and peeks out at the surrounding houses. All of the driveways are empty. Good sign. He glances around the side of Edd's house towards the front door. This is as good a chance as any…He could get inside. Get a nice, long look at the inside of Edd's house to get a better idea of his home-life. Why not?

Making sure the coast is clear, he slips over to the front door and checks around for a house key. Under the mat? No. Over the door frame? No. He spots a potted plant right next to the stoop and checks under the pot. Bingo.

Despite this discovery, though, he hesitates. What if someone _is_ home? More importantly, what if someone's still around the cul-de-sac? He sighs, stepping away. He pockets the key he found, but decides to wait until later to sneak in. He wants so damn bad to get a peek, but it's far from vital right now. Instead, he heads across the street to his parent's house. He notices as he does that the clouds are getting more dense. A storm is definitely coming.

As he slips inside his old home again, he makes the decision to check the weather channel once he gets a shower out of the way. He wastes no time in this. A quick shower, a change of clothes. He puts the old clothes into a plastic bag and then heads to the living room. He's just in time for the weather forecast. Yup. Weatherman's calling for storms. He tends not to put much stock into their 'predictions', but the skies don't lie. In a way, this is very good luck for him. Rain _should_ keep the kiddies inside when they get home. It'll make sneaking around that much easier.

He checks the time: 9:00 a.m. Plenty of time for a good breakfast. Off to the kitchen, then, to scrounge himself up a meal. Some eggs n' bacon would really hit the spot right now. Simple enough. This time, he does clean up after himself some, but puts as little effort into it as possible. Throw the pan into the sink with some soapy water and let it soak. That's about as much effort as Pipsqueak or the old man would expend. Mom shouldn't think much of it. When it's all ready, he sits down at the table and tucks in. Wash it all down with a glass of milk; just what he needed.

He sits back to digest, thinking carefully about his next move. The mail definitely arrived yesterday sometime before one p.m. He hasn't checked the mail just yet today, but he's fairly certain it hasn't run. Too early for that. And, naturally, he can't leave the letter in the mailbox until _after_ the actual mail has been delivered. Hmm…He still wants to check out Edd's house before the kids get home too…

Standing from the table, he leaves his dishes in the sink with the pan and grabs the remote from the sofa to switch the t.v. off again. He puts his keys in his pocket — including the one he found by Edd's porch — and grabs the letter and bag of clothes. Before exiting the house, he peers through the curtains to the mailbox outside. The flag isn't up, though that's not a good indicator. After a moment of silent debate, he decides to risk it and steps out.

He approaches the mailbox and opens it, finding it empty. Fuck…He makes a quick survey of the neighbor's boxes, finding at least one with its flag up. Hasn't run yet. Dammit…With a sigh, he retreats back into the house. He doesn't want to stick around outside and he doesn't want to hold onto this envelope. How much fuckin' longer is this gonna take? Arms folded, he leans against the wall beside the window, glaring out at the street in anticipation of the mail truck. He glances at his watch again. Nearly 9:30. He groans, leaning his head back against the wall.

It's at least another half hour before he hears the familiar whirring of the truck outside. Brow cocked, he moves the curtains a bit and looks out. It's coming down this side first and is currently at the neighbor's. He taps his foot as he watches the driver — a woman, by the looks of it? — pull up to the Sampson's mailbox. She retrieves a couple of letters and deposits them in the box before closing it up again and moving on. At least that's done. Of course…now he's stuck waiting for this bitch to go through each individual mailbox in the neighborhood. That's not nearly as long a wait, though, and within about five minutes, the coast is clear once again. Before leaving the house, he grabs one of the many umbrellas by the door to avoid getting caught in the inevitable downpour.

Back to the mailbox after shutting and locking the door behind him, he leaves the letter inside on top of the rest. Eddy will ignore the others anyway. With that, he turns back to Edd's house. Still no sign of life from within…Fuck it! Glancing around, he makes his way across the street again. However, rather than just enter the house, he rings the doorbell and waits. The parents wouldn't recognize him at all. If they _are_ home, he can just throw out some kind've excuse — like he needs directions or something.

He waits for several minutes before deciding that's long enough. Though, he still doesn't go in through the front door. Instead, he slips around the back again just in case. He tries the key on the back door, biting his lip as he hopes it works. The lock clicks and he can open the door. Slipping inside, he shuts the door behind him and pauses, listening for any movement in the house as his heart races in anticipation.

No sound.

He turns to find himself in the kitchen. There's a door to his left that has a window in it. Licking his lips, he rushes over and peeks inside to find the garage. No cars. That puts him at ease. The place really _is_ empty. Breathing a sigh of relief, he rubs his eyes a bit. He grimaces as he realizes how nuts he must look right now. Sneaking into someone else's house. Thank fuck no one's around to have seen him. He must look like some kinda crazy robber…

But enough of that. He grins a bit as he finally takes a moment to look around. He's shocked, though, by the mass of sticky notes that are layered over the walls, appliances…anything they can stick to, really. He sets his bag of clothes and the umbrella on the kitchen table, staring around in awe. He gets a little closer to one of the notes and reads it.

 _Dear Eddward,_

 _Please mop the floors, clean the refrigerator, and wash the windows._

The note is signed by Edd's mother with a little heart next to it. Chores? That's fuckin' stupid. And so many of them…The kid would be at this for hours! He looks over a few more. Not _all_ of them detail chores for Edd to do. Some are just messages to Edd such as reminders to bring his lunch to school, dress appropriately for the rainy weather, and behave himself — are they _really_ worried about that? One of them makes him see red again. A note left on the stove.

 _Dear Eddward,_

 _Your father and I will be working late again tonight. There's a casserole in the fridge. Heat the oven to 350° and let bake for an hour._

Signed by mom. They're leaving him alone _again?!_ Fuck it, why _is_ he going through this bullshit?! His Princess doesn't deserve this neglect!

He stalks through the house, trying to walk away from that idea. That thought has come and gone too many times. It's not worth considering again — no matter _how_ pissed off he is about this. There's a staircase near the front door, which has his interest thoroughly piqued. Edd's bedroom is probably up there…

Grinning wickedly, he makes his way up the stairs. There are more sticky notes on the doors here and, he notes, a label on one of them reading ' _Edd's Room_ '. He doesn't hesitate this time and walks in. The room is fairly modest, but certainly reflects the boy's personality. Absolutely _everything_ has a label. Not a single item is out of place. There's even an EXIT sign over the door, which is _also_ labeled — the doorknob too?! Fuck, Terry can't _hope_ to touch anything here. With this level of scrutiny, Edd would notice in a heartbeat and become immediately on edge. And that certainly won't do for his plans.

He steps further into the room, however, and looks around to take it all in. There's an ant farm directly to the left of the door. Over his bed, he has hanging replicas of the planets, complete with a little light bulb — to represent the sun? Fuckin' adorable…There's also an anatomy poster on the wall over his bed, which makes the man snicker like a fifth grader. The closet is exquisitely organized, offering more space than he'd ever have expected for such a small area. Beside it stands something he doesn't recognize. The label above it calls it a 'pedal steel guitar'. An instrument? That's interesting…His Princess was musically gifted? He scoffs. Well, of _course_. He's quite sure his little Edd could excel in _anything_. The bulletin board above the instrument reflects this as well. A+ papers are organized neatly on it, displaying how smart the kid really is.

He feels an odd swell of pride as he looks at it all. Pride that his pretty little Princess was the whole package of brains _and_ beauty. Fuckin' perfect. It only made the parental neglect of him all the more frustrating. Clearly their child put in so much effort to be the perfect son. Taking care of himself, keeping his room immaculate and organized. Hell! Going so far as to provide fuckin' slave labor for them by cleaning the rest of the house and doing these mundane chores that must take forever! And yet they communicate with him through _paper?!_ They don't come home to be with him at night? Not even for dinner? What kind of sick fucks are these people to be so cold?!

Fine. If they don't want Edd, then he'll fix that. As far as he's concerned, once he gets Edd back to the park, those fuckers will _never_ see their little 'burden' ever again.

Turning on his heel, he storms out of the room and back to the kitchen. He's annoyed to see that rain has begun sprinkling down. Better not fuckin' _last…_ He snatches up his bag and the umbrella from the table and turns to leave. A quick check of the time: 10:30. Shit, he's got lots of time before the kids are scheduled to be home…He grimaces a bit and decides to stop by the van to drop off his clothes before retreating back home. At least he can pass the time by watching t.v. After locking Edd's house back up and opening the umbrella, he's off again.

* * *

Yup. This is agony. He yawns wide as another boring show goes to commercial. He's been lounging around for hours, hoping to distract his irritated thoughts. Unfortunately, everything on t.v. right now is bullshit, thus rendering him just as bored as he was before, but perhaps more annoyed. With two o'clock drawing closer and closer, he regrets to admit he'll have to leave. The rain outside became more of a downpour since he got back to the house, but it's starting to let up to a light drizzle.

Reluctantly, he rises from the couch again and straightens his clothes. Class will be letting out soon and he wants to check in on the boys and possibly find out where they're going to be. Turning the television off, he pockets his keys and grabs the umbrella left by the door. However instead of going out the front, he heads to Eddy's bedroom — where the back door is — and leaves that way.

After locking the house up tight again, he approaches the gate near the shed. It has a slide-bolt lock on it, which he leaves unlocked. This way, he can sneak back into the backyard if the Eds come back here. If not, well, he can fix it later…maybe. Anyway, once that's done, he slips into the woods and heads toward the school. On his way, he keeps to the trails to avoid treading through the mud too much. He'll do plenty of that on the way back as he tries to stay out of sight.

Like yesterday, the kids pile out of the school, but look a little more dour than before. Probably the rain. Some of the kids walk out in big, yellow ponchos, while others carry umbrellas. By now, Terry has closed his own umbrella to avoid being detected by the sounds of rain hitting the material. He spots the Eds walking out. Ed is running around, clearly enjoying the rainy day. Eddy looks irritable, but is making no effort to shield himself from the rain save for a ratty-looking old jacket. Terry vaguely remembers that being his from when he was a kid, but that's the most noteworthy thing about it. And then there's Edd, who is clearly the most prepared of the three. An umbrella _and_ a rain slicker to protect him from the rain? How sensible. A little unnecessary, maybe, but sensible.

He strays behind the boys, allowing as much distance between themselves as possible. They cut through the woods again — trying to get home as quickly as possible to get out of the rain, most likely. He can't hear what they're saying this time. He's too far away. Once they reach the lane, they take the long way around to reach the cul-de-sac. Terry sticks close behind the fence, listening closely for Eddy's obnoxious voice. He's quite sure he'll be able to hear that little shit from here.

" _Super sweet!_ "

Yup, there it is…Must've reached the mailbox.

" _It's a letter from my brother!_ "

Right again. He can just barely hear Edd's soft voice follow.

" _Eddy…e_ _ **please**_ _…_ _ **out**_ _of the rain?_ "

" _Yeah, yeah,_ " Eddy groans back, " _Lemme get my key._ "

So they _are_ going to stay here? Good. Terry carefully slips through the fence again, leaving the latch unlocked as he carefully makes his way over to the large window to Eddy's room. After a moment, he vaguely hears the door inside burst open and the three boys enter.

" _It's about time!_ " Eddy cries coming perhaps closest to the window, but not too close.

" _What's it say, Eddy?!_ " he hears Ed gasp, following like a lost puppy.

" _I gotta_ _ **open**_ _it first, burrhead!_ " Eddy retorts.

" _Please excuse me, gentlemen,_ " Edd says, sounding the farthest away, " _I need to use the lavatory._ "

" _Hurry back, Sockhead!_ " Eddy commands, " _My bro's_ _ **gotta**_ _have a scam idea in here for me!_ "

" _Of course, of course…_ " Edd replies, walking away.

Terry hears the door close again and chances a small peek inside. Eddy's sitting on his bed, with Ed huddled close. He's ripped open the letter and is reading over it carefully. Edd has left the room.

" _Yes!_ " Eddy laughs, " _What'd I tell ya, Ed? My bro's comin' through for me! He says he's gonna send me the best money-maker ever!_ "

" _Oh, happy day!_ " Ed cheers.

Terry sees Eddy reading further and watches his grin grow wider.

" _Oh shit…_ " he laughs, " _He's got_ _ **another**_ _scam for me while I wait for the big one!_ "

Then his face falls.

" _What's wrong, Eddy?_ " Ed asks.

" _I can't tell Double D…?_ " Eddy's shoulders fall as he carefully considers that.

" _Why not?_ "

He sees Eddy scratching his head as he stares at the letter.

" _Bro says it's cuz Double D would rat us out to the teachers or somethin'…_ "

Ed gasps; " _Double D would_ _ **never!**_ "

Eddy shrugs, rubbing the back of his neck; " _I dunno, Ed…Ol' Sockhead_ _ **is**_ _a stickler for the rules…and school's, like, the one place he doesn't like to fuck around too much…_ "

He pauses to think, glancing up at the door a few times in anticipation before turning to Ed.

" _This is too good an idea…_ " he says, " _We get those test answers and we'll be_ _ **swimmin'**_ _in jawbreakers by Friday._ "

" _What about Double D?_ "

Eddy folds the letter up, and tucks it into his pocket.

" _We'll give 'im a cut when we get our pay,_ " he replies, " _Just keepin' him out of this will be enough._ " He turns to Ed and grabs his shoulder. " _You gotta promise me, Ed; don't tell Double D about the test scam, okay?_ "

Ed bows his head; " _Okay, Eddy…_ "

" _Cheer up, big guy!_ " Eddy pats his back, " _C'mon! You n' me pullin' scams together! Just like old times!_ "

That doesn't help much, unfortunately, and Ed looks no less downtrodden to have to leave their bosom buddy out of this venture. Edd returns shortly after, looking much more comfortable.

" _Apologies for the delay, gentlemen,_ " he begins brightly, " _So! What did the letter say, Eddy? You've been looking forward to this for so long, I'm sure you're just_ _ **bursting**_ _at the seams to share._ "

" _Oh uh…y-yeah!_ " Eddy perks up a bit, " _My brother's sending me something that he says will be a sure-thing!_ "

Edd doesn't look convinced; " _Like…how the treasure map was a sure thing…?_ "

Huh, when'd they find that thing? Eddy waves that off.

" _This is different!_ " he asserts, " _This time my brother's sending it to me directly!_ "

" _And…you're certain this won't be another joke parcel like the baby toys?_ " Edd asks, folding his arms across his chest.

Dammit! As he sits against the wall beneath the window, Terry finds himself resenting Edd's intelligence for the first time. If this fucks up his plans…

" _C'mon, Double D!_ " Eddy whines, " _Just lemme have this!_ "

" _Alright, alright…_ " he hears Edd relent, " _Did he provide you any details about this 'sure-thing'?_ "

" _Not yet,_ " Eddy admits, " _All he said was that it'll get here any day. Maybe even tomorrow?! That means, no matter what, we gotta get home right away after school. If mom and dad get the mail before I can, we're fucked._ "

" _Eddy, please mind your language,_ " Edd groans, " _But fine. Once we're out of school, we'll come straight here for your precious package_."

That seems to be enough to pacify Eddy; " _Good._ "

" _Now, since it's such a dreary afternoon, perhaps we can get a jump-start on our studying before I must return home?_ "

" _Why d'ya have to go home so damn early anyway?_ "

" _I have chores to complete, Eddy,_ " Edd explains.

" _Oh…right…_ "

There's a short pause, before Eddy speaks up enthusiastically.

" _Welp! If we're gonna do homework, we're gonna need some brain food, right, Burrhead?_ "

Ed gasps; " _Oh goodie!_ "

Terry hears the bedroom door slam open inside and footsteps storm through the house.

" _Wait for me, Lumpy!_ " Eddy laughs, his voice fading as he follows.

" _Fine…_ " Terry barely hears Edd sigh, " _We'll get a snack, but then it's_ _ **right**_ _down to work!_ "

With that, Edd seems to leave as well. Terry peers into the room, finding it empty. He takes that as an opportunity to slip back out of the yard and to his van. The mention of food has reminded him that he hasn't eaten in a while as well. Might as well head out for lunch. Everything's set up well anyway. And, as he exits through the fence door (which he still leaves unlatched), he realizes that all he can do now is wait.

If all goes according to plan, he'll have his hands on his prize by tomorrow.


	6. Ch 5 - Take Edd While The Sun Shines

No dreams last night. Not that he needs one. Those sexy dreams will be a reality soon enough, he's sure. He could do without that screeching alarm, though…If he'd known it would be that loud, he would've gotten a different one. But no matter. It's got him up and that's what's important. Rubbing his eyes, he climbs into the driver's seat. It's still a bit cloudy from the storm yesterday, but the sun is trying to poke through. The plan is relatively simple today. First thing's first, he's gotta head towards the lane. He stopped for gas the night before, so he doesn't have to worry about stopping on the way home. That allows him to focus more on setting up his ambush.

He pulls away from the abandoned house, hoping it'll be the last time. His back is killing him from laying on that lumpy fuckin' mattress. It'll be good to get home and sleep in a real bed again. And with his little Princess beside him. He peers down the cul-de-sac, slowing the van to a crawl as he passes. There's one car in the driveway of a house at the far end of the street, but a woman exits shortly after and approaches it. Looks like the last straggler is heading to work a little late…? He continues down past the cul-de-sac before pulling into the lane.

He drives down the narrow path, carefully avoiding the trashcans leaning against the fence. Finally, he passes the trailer park, indicating he's nearing the wooded area. He takes a right into the start of the woods and parks near the junkyard. No matter where he manages to nab Edd in here, he should be able to get him back to the van without being seen.

After grabbing another change of clothes and his keys, he steps out of the van. He's got several hours to kill; might as well get a shower to refresh and grab a bite to eat. Slipping into the backyard, he unlocks the door to Eddy's bedroom and steps inside. Rather than head upstairs, he decides to use Eddy's private bathroom. As if the little fucker _needs_ his own bathroom…Unlike before, he decides to take his time, though, he avoids using any of the shampoo. The smell is pretty strong and damn cheap. Might be too easy for passerby to notice.

Once he's clean and dressed, he heads to the kitchen for breakfast. That box of Chunky Puffs has been opened, so he pours himself a bowl to munch on. He sits in the living room and watches t.v. while he pops the cereal into his mouth. Weather report says it'll be partly cloudy today, with a small chance for showers. Damn. Well, as long as he can get his hands on Edd before then, it'll be fine.

He lounges about for a few hours until the clock strikes two. At that point, he turns off the television and gathers up his empty bowl to leave in the sink. Before heading out, he takes a moment to pack himself a couple of sandwiches. There's no chance of stopping at any fast food places on the way home. Too likely to be caught. He packs the sandwiches and a couple of sodas in a paper bag before heading back to Eddy's room to leave out the back door.

Locking the door behind him, he returns to his van. He stows the sodas in the cooler and leaves the sandwiches in the passenger seat. A quick glance at the time. School's going to be letting out soon. He grabs the chloroform and stuffs it and the rag into the pockets of his plaid shirt. He also throws the handcuffs onto the mattress and moves the bag to rest beside them for easy access.

When he's got what he needs, he shuts the doors of the van, but doesn't lock up. It's going to be tough enough getting Edd back here without having to worry about the lock. He stalks through the woods, his attention dead set on the school as he makes a beeline for his usual hiding spot.

Not much longer now…

Ah! There they come. As the kids exit the school Terry doesn't care to pay attention to their expressions. He's focused solely on the Eds. Although…He grits his teeth. The three of them haven't walked out yet. He curses under his breath. Did all _three_ of them get detention?! Fuckin' Pipsqueak. Of course he'd fuck this up somehow!

As he thinks that, though, Edd steps out, his messenger bag over his shoulder and a book in hand. Eddy's right behind him, grabbing his arm to stop him. Terry squints, just barely making out their words as the sound of the crowd begins to fade around them.

Edd has turned to him and is speaking with a frown; " _…_ _ **supposed**_ _to report to Mrs. Miller's room for detention._ "

Eddy tries to interject; " _I know, but—_ "

" _I'll wait here until you get out?_ "

" _No!_ " Eddy counters, " _ **Please,**_ _Double D. I need you to go back to the cul-de-sac!_ "

" _What? Why? I want to wait for you and Ed? I'm perfectly prepared to complete my homework while I wait and—_ "

" _I know! I know!_ " Eddy sighs, " _But I_ _ **really**_ _need you to get back home and check my mail for me!_ "

" _Eddy, I can't_ _ **do**_ _that! Tampering with the mail is a federal offense!_ "

" _I'm_ _ **giving**_ _you permission, Sockhead!_ " Eddy groans, " _Please! If the package my brother sent arrived today, then I gotta get home before my parents do!_ "

Edd gives him a hard look; " _Perhaps you should've_ _ **thought**_ _about that before you and Ed tried to steal from our teacher, Eddy! It's your own fault that you have to stay._ "

" _I know!_ " Eddy cries, tugging at his hair, " _And I'm sorry! It was my brother's idea and it woulda made us rich!_ " He shakes his head to remind himself what he's talking about. " _B-But that doesn't matter right now! What matters is that I get home before my parents! But Mrs. Miller's gonna keep us here for hours and my parents will be home before we get out!_ _ **Please**_ _help me, Double D! I aint askin' you for much. I just need you to run home, check n' see if it's there, and then you can come back here and wait for us if you_ _ **really**_ _want to._ _ **Please!**_ "

Edd looks hesitant. Clearly he doesn't want to abandon his friends. He looks back towards the school as they're both alerted to something within, drawing Edd to sigh.

" _Okay, okay,_ " he assures him, " _I'll head home and come right back._ "

Eddy responds by throwing his arms around Edd's middle in a tight hug.

" _Thanks, Edd! I owe ya one —_ _ **big time!**_ "

" _You certainly do,_ " Edd retorts, pushing him away, " _Now, please, get inside before Mrs. Miller adds to your sentence._ "

" _Right!_ " Eddy laughs anxiously before turning to run inside, " _Thanks again, Sockhead!_ "

Edd shakes his head a bit before turning away from the door again. He opens his messenger bag to put his book away before adjusting it on his shoulder. Once he's situated, he makes his way to the woods. Taking the shortcut — just what Terry wanted. With a smirk, Terry backs away to put more space between himself and Edd. Though, once the boy passes, he starts following closely. The other kids have all dispersed, leaving them alone.

It's now or never.

When he's close enough, he opens the bottle and pours a generous amount of the chemical onto the cloth. Closer still, he pockets the bottle again. He worries some that Edd will notice his shadow or hear his footsteps as he comes within striking distance. Unsurprisingly, that seems to be the case, as Edd starts to turn towards him. Before he can, however, Terry grabs him around the shoulders with one arm and covers his nose and mouth with the cloth in the other.

Edd's eyes open wide in the shock and he releases a muffled scream. His hands shoot up to claw at the one clamping the cloth over his face, all while thrashing about wildly. Terry keeps a tight grip on him, gritting his teeth as he tries to will the chloroform to work.

"Shh…" he breathes, "Calm down, sweetheart. Deep breaths…"

He glances around for a moment and starts dragging him along toward the van. Still, Edd struggles, digging his heels into the ground and trying to rip the hands off of him.

"Goddammit…" Terry growls, "Did that little shit really scam me with that bottle?!"

Seriously, the movies all made it seem like chloroform was _instant!_

But no. It's only when he finally nears the van that Edd's struggling starts to cease. His eyelids flutter and his muffled screams fade away. Finally, his body goes lax. Huh…guess it just takes longer than he thought…? Good timing, though. He picks Edd up and runs the short distance back to the van. As he opens the doors, Edd moans a bit, seemingly coming to. Fuck! Not only did it take forever to kick in, but it doesn't _last?!_ What the _fuck?!_ With this in mind, he quickly grabs the cuffs and removes Edd's bag from his shoulder before locking the boy's arms behind his back. After throwing the messenger bag into his van to avoid leaving any evidence behind, he grabs the pillowcase and throws it over Edd's head. He then carefully hoists Edd up and onto the mattress where he moans softly in his disorientated state. With a twisted grin, Terry shuts the doors and locks them before running around to hop into the driver's seat.

As he starts up the car and makes his way out of the woods to drive away, he can't fight the manic laughter bubbling up within him. The rush is leaving him tingling and more than a little aroused, but he tries to ignore that for now.

He's got a helluva drive ahead of him.

Edd's still recovering in the back, whimpering a little as he tries to rouse himself.

" _Wh…What's happened…?_ " he mumbles, " _S'dark…_ "

Terry doesn't respond, though he does glance back at the figure on the mattress. It's driving him mad to be this close and to be unable to touch him, but he knows he has to wait. Gotta get home first. As Edd starts to wake more, he begins struggling against his bindings.

"Wh…What is this?!" he gasps, writhing as he begins to panic, "H-Help! Help me!"

"Might as well lie back and relax, Princess," Terry laughs, "We got a long ride ahead of us."

"Wh-Who is that?!" Edd cries, "Please let me go!"

"No can do," Terry retorts, "We're headin' home. We're finally gonna be together. Like it's meant to be."

"What are you _talking_ about?!" Edd whimpers, "Who _are_ you?!"

"Not important right now," Terry retorts, "You just rest your pretty little head and we'll be home before you know it."

He can hear Edd sobbing.

"N-No…" he blubbers, "I-I want to go home!"

"We _are_ goin' home."

" _My_ home!"

Terry chuckles; "Oh no. You aint _ever_ goin' back there. Not if I have anything to say about it."

Edd stops talking after that, but he doesn't stop struggling. He ends up getting himself stuck on his stomach and is unable to move much after that, leaving him to sob pathetically as he pulls his legs in to curl up a bit.

The rest of the drive is filled with Edd's crying, but not a lot else. Nothing to get in their way. Every now and then, the boy will ask the same whimpering questions. _Who are you? Where are you taking me? Why are you doing this?_ Terry chooses not to answer them. Not yet. The sandwiches in the passenger's seat are made quick work of, leaving nothing but a crumpled paper bag and some crumbs in their wake. He does consider saving one for the little Princess, but by the time he can stop to feed him, they'll be back at his trailer. He can make something then.

As they travel farther and farther from the cul-de-sac, Edd comes up with a new question for him.

"M-Mister…" Edd mumbles, "My…My arms hurt. P-Please…Can you _please_ take these off?"

Hmm…That's a slightly better tone than before. He should reward that.

"We're almost there, sweetheart," he informs him, "Deal with it for just a little longer."

That's met with pitiful sobs, but Edd doesn't say anything more about it. Good. Just another example to show that Edd's the perfect kid.

Finally, he nears Mondo A-Go-Go. The storm from yesterday has moved this way, resulting in gloomy skies and, he's very glad to say, a relatively quiet park. Hmm…but it's still pretty early…He'll have to tread carefully. There's a back entrance near his trailer which is often unguarded out of laziness since the area is mostly reserved for employees who tend not to give half a shit anyway. Still, he approaches slowly.

As he gets closer to the entrance, he sees no one standing around. Past the archway and into the park, he does see several people, but they're not lingering in this area. He should be able to make it…He keeps an eagle eye out for anyone who may be watching him or who may recognize him. A few people glance his way when they hear his van, but their attention returns to whatever the fuck else they're doing immediately after.

He pulls up to his trailer, relieved that no one's by the tents or hanging around the whale-shaped home. He turns before backing in to line the vehicle up with his front door. He leaves enough space for him to slip between the door of the house and the back door of the van, but gets as close to the trailer as possible. Still no one looking. He shuts the van off.

" _Wh-Where are we?_ " Edd's little voice whimpers from the back.

"Shut up."

Without another word, Terry steps out of the van, still looking around like a madman as he makes his way to his front door. He squeezes in and unlocks it before carefully pushing it open. Next, he opens the back doors of the van. Edd's trying to pull himself up onto his knees, whimpering. He did say his arms hurt. Must be trying to alleviate that? Terry grabs his waist and pulls him up and out of the van. He doesn't even bother with the messenger bag or anything else as he hoists Edd over his shoulder and rushes into the trailer. Down the hall, to the soundproofed room. He lays Edd down on the bed.

"Wait here," he commands.

Ignoring Edd's pleas — begging him to let him go, tell him where he is, _who_ he is, take the cuffs off, etc. — he leaves the room and locks it behind him. Just in case. He returns to the van and closes and locks his front door as well. Climbing back into the driver's seat, he pulls out to park the van somewhere else. He doesn't want Mike to know he's back. Not till he's played with Edd for a while first. If anyone he knows _did_ see his van, they can assume he just stopped by for a minute and then left again. He's still got to the end of the week and that's time he fucking _needs,_ dammit.

After parking the van in the woods past the fence separating the park from the general public, he returns to his trailer. No one's noticed him yet. Good. Almost home free. He returns to his trailer and slips inside as quick as he can, locking up heavily once he's in.

Finally, the breadth of the situation hits him. He's finally done it. He's finally got his hands on his Princess. His little obsession is just a few rooms away. As he turns to the hallway, that manic grin returns. He stalks towards the room, his breathing a little uneven as he unlocks and opens up the door. Edd has fallen to the floor in his attempts to escape. Adorable. Shutting the door and locking it with a key behind him, he approaches the quivering figure.

When he touches Edd's arm, the boy recoils and tries to scoot away. Of course, Terry doesn't let him. No. He wants to get a good look at Edd's face now that they're finally alone. Carefully, he pulls the pillowcase off. The black cap is moved slightly, but manages to stay on the boy's head of messy black hair. He's cringing a bit, as though afraid to be struck, and is gritting his teeth in a way that Terry can see that cute little gap. After a moment, he finally peeks up at his captor, his green eyes wide and full of fear.

"Wh…Who _are_ you?" he pleads, "What do you want with me?"

Terry doesn't answer, struck by what he's finally getting to see up close. With a ragged breath, he kneels down in front of him, cupping the sides of Edd's face and marveling at the softness of his skin. Like fuckin' cream: smooth and _so_ silky…His eyes lock on the boy's mouth, which is parted slightly; unable to withhold his frantic breathing. Terry leans in closer, drinking in the sight like a fish to water.

"You're even prettier than the pictures…" he breathes, "Fuckin' beautiful…"

That in no way puts Edd at ease.

"What…?" he whimpers.

Glancing quickly at Edd's eyes, Terry leans in to place a kiss to the corner of his mouth. Edd reacts even more violently to that, struggling like mad and screaming.

" _Help!_ " he shrieks, "S-Someone! Anyone! Please!"

Terry laughs; "Scream all you want, Princess. No one will hear you."

Edd looks back at him, sheer dread in his pretty eyes. Pleased with the boy's sudden stillness, Terry drags his hands down the slender hips. Edd shakes his head, muttering half-formed pleas for him to stop. Fuck that. They'll be going further than this before the night is over. Terry's eyes drift up to land on the black hat. It was a constant in all those pictures. He's never seen Edd without it. What about it is so damn important?

"What's under the hat, Princess?" he purrs, lifting up the edge of the fabric with a grin.

"N-No!" Edd cries, trying to move away, "P-Please no! I-I can't _stand_ to be seen without my hat!"

Terry cocks his brow; "You hidin' somethin' from me, little Princess? Lovers shouldn't keep secrets from each other."

"P-Please…" Edd mumbles, "I don't even know who you are…Please…Don't remove my hat."

"Oh right…" Terry grumbles, "We aint been properly introduced, have we? Not really, anyway…Not the best way to begin a relationship…" He grins, tracing the boy's jaw. "Let's fix that, shall we? I know you damn well by now, my little Edd…But for your sake; my name is Terry."

"T…Terry…?" Edd echoes, his brow furrowed.

"Very good, Princess," Terry breathes, rewarding him with a kiss to the cheek.

"Please…Y-You keep calling me that…Why? I-I'm a boy…"

"Oh, I know," Terry retorts, resting his hands on the plush hips, "But that doesn't matter. You're still my Princess."

Edd squirms, his head bowed shyly. Terry's eyes lock on the black hat.

"And since you're my Princess," he murmurs, "that makes me your king. And you will obey my demands." He grabs the soft, black fabric. "And I fuckin' _demand_ to see what you're hidin' under here."

"No!"

But of course it's too late for that. Off comes the hat. Little bobby pins fall to the floor, though some remain attached to the boy's unkempt hair. It's obviously clean, but also obviously difficult to style. But that's far from what he cares about. No, what catches his attention is the pale scar that spreads from Edd's hairline on the left. He feels something snap within him as he stares at the mark, his mind whirring. Even Edd's weeping doesn't reach him. He hardly notices that he's grabbed the boy's arm, squeezing harder than perhaps he should.

"Who?" he demands, his voice shaking as it rises in rage, "Who fuckin' did this?!"

"I-I don't…"

"What _son of a bitch_ put his hands on you?!" Terry roars, rising to his feet, "What did this?!"

Edd shakes his head; "P-Please! It…It's not…"

"Who fuckin' _broke_ you before I could even _touch_ you?!"

Still shaking his head, Edd tries to pull away.

"Please! I-It was an accident from school!" he sobs, "A-A long time ago!"

The rest of his words become unintelligible whimpering. Terry's vision swims and blurs red. He'll kill 'em. He'll fuckin' hunt down the piece of shit who _dared_ to put their hands on Edd and damaged him and he'll rip their fuckin' head clean off. Leave 'em in a goddamn ditch to rot!

He finally hears Edd's sobs, and glances down at the quivering boy. He's crying harder now, trying to turn away and hide the scar. The red fades from Terry's vision and he calms himself. His breathing is still ragged as he cups Edd's jaw again and forces him to look back at him.

"Don't be sad, sweetheart," he pants, "That fucker can't hurt you anymore…whoever he was." He drags his thumb over the soft cheek to wipe away the tears. "And I still love you…Even with that ugly thing, you're still my little Princess."

Edd tries to pull his head away.

"No, no," Terry mumbles, pulling the boy into his lap and holding his head to his shoulder, "Don't cry. I'll keep you safe. I'll never let someone else hurt you ever again."

His grip tightens slightly, his vision tunneling again. Edd sobs again, trying to jerk away from him. Dammit…He drags his fingers through the soft black hair, pushing back the boy's bangs to further reveal the scar to him. It makes his blood boil just looking at it. But he can't lose it just yet. Instead, he leans in and places a soft, gentle kiss to the scarred flesh. It only serves to makes Edd squirm more. Licking his lips, Terry gently tilts Edd's jaw up to face him, casting him a sly grin. He leans in, leaving a trail of kisses from the scar down to the boy's lips.

Whimpering, Edd tries to turn away from him, but to no avail. Terry's hands move to cup the back of Edd's head to keep him still before leaning in to press his lips to Edd's own. The boy whines in protest, but it goes unheard as Terry closes his eyes to better enjoy the feeling of Edd's soft lips against his own. Not enough, though. He starts poking at Edd's lips with his tongue, trying to slip it past them into the boy's mouth. He can feel the kid struggling, but he ignores it. Digging his fingers into Edd's hair, he manages to get his tongue past the boy's lips that part ever so slightly.

It draws another whine from Edd, who writhes in discomfort. The little disapproving noises fall on deaf ears as Terry pulls him in closer. He runs his tongue over every surface within Edd's mouth, committing the sensation to memory. So _fuckin'_ good…Like fuckin' nectar from heaven. He hates to pull away to gaze down at the whimpering, panting boy. His crying has quieted down some, but tears are still running down his cheeks. He sniffles, wordlessly trying to move away from him again as he tugs on his restraints. Oh shit. He nearly forgot about that…

Reaching into his pocket, Terry retrieves the key for the handcuffs. He carefully reaches around the boy and takes the cuffs in hand. As he nears the soft flesh of Edd's neck, he leaves behind little kisses and nips, drawing shivers from him. A quick turn of the key in the little lock and the first cuff goes lax, falling open around the little wrist. Edd sighs in relief, his shoulders relaxing as he moves his hands in front of him. With a soft whine, he rubs his shoulder, ignoring that his other wrist is still technically bound. As gently as he can manage, Terry grabs the wrist that still has the handcuff attached to it and unlocks it next. While Edd rubs his sore limbs, Terry tosses the cuffs aside.

Taking this opportunity, Edd pushes himself up and out of Terry's lap and races to the door. It makes the man roll his eyes, but he chooses not to react rashly. Instead, he rises slowly to his feet and calmly approaches the child, who's desperately twisting the doorknob and pounding his little fists on the foam over the door. He's screaming and begging for help that won't come — more annoying than anything, really. With a grimace, Terry grabs Edd's upper arm and pulls him back.

"No! No!" Edd sobs, "P-Please no! L-Let me go!"

Terry ignores that and hoists him up onto the bed. He doesn't let him up again, though and holds his arms down as he kneels over him. Edd tosses and turns beneath him, whining.

"S-Stop!" he begs, " _Please!_ "

"Relax, sweetheart," Terry purrs, casting him a sly grin, "I ain't gonna hurt ya…Not much, at least…"

Shaking his head, Edd jerks from side to side in an effort to pull his arms free. Terry sneers. It's to be expected, but it's still annoying as hell. And, since being gentle has gotten him nowhere…

He sits back for just a moment and brings his hand down across Edd's cheek. The sudden strike silences Edd's screaming and makes him go completely still. Once he recovers, he slowly turns back to the man, his eyes wide.

"That's better," Terry breathes, tracing Edd's sides as he straddles the thin waist, "Now…Let's have some fun, _Princess._ "


	7. Ch 6 - An Edd as Pure as the Driven Snow

Edd's struggling begins anew as Terry leans down to kiss him again. Grabbing the boy's jaw, he manages to hold Edd still while also forcing his mouth open, allowing him to slip his tongue back inside. Edd whines against his lips, his small hands pushing weakly against the man's broad shoulders. It does little to deter Terry, of course, and he instead grabs Edd's arms to pull him closer.

Pure bliss…And nothing can take it away from him. Not this time. He closes his eyes, focusing intently on the sensation of Edd's lips upon his own. Softer than silk and sweeter than honey. It takes his breath away…

Or maybe that's just the jab of Edd's scrawny knee directed at his middle. Breaking the kiss, he glares down at the boy.

"Hold still, dammit!"

Shaking his head, Edd tries again to pull himself away, screaming about how 'inappropriate' this all is. Gritting his teeth, Terry slaps him again, making the boy recoil. Edd's whimpering sobs grow louder as he clutches his burning cheek. Grabbing Edd's arm, Terry pins him down again.

"Stop making me hit you!" he snaps, "Fuckin' lie back and let me _enjoy_ this!"

"I want to go _home!_ " Edd bawls, thrashing like mad, "Let me go! Let me _go!_ "

With a low growl, Terry's fingers curl into a shaking fist. Edd's screams are way more annoying than he expected — likely because he's not screaming in ecstasy as he'd imagined — and they're driving him crazy.

"If you don't stop fuckin' screamin' your little head off…"

Edd peeks up at him, his eyes wide as the threat in the man's voice reaches him. He covers his mouth with his hands, his tears gathering in his matted hair. _That's better…_ Terry glances down, his gaze drifting from the orange shirt to the purple shorts.

"I wanna see _all_ of you…"

With a sharp gasp, Edd shakes his head again, his eyes locked on Terry's face.

"P-Please no…" he begs, lowering his hands slightly, "D-Don't do this…"

"Lie still for me," Terry advises, "And I won't hit you again. Take off your clothes."

Quivering, Edd tries to scoot back and lift himself up.

"N-No," he whimpers, "N-Not that…"

"If you won't, I'll do it for you," Terry warns.

Edd doesn't reply to that past shaking his head 'no'. He mumbles incoherently, his voice cracking and uneven. With a grimace, Terry grabs the bottom of Edd's shirt.

"Have it your way."

With one hand on Edd's hip, he yanks the shirt up. Edd frantically tries pushing the fabric back down, his face flushing beat red in shame. After a quick tug-o-war, a loud _riiiiip_ alerts them to the orange fabric, which is tearing from the tension. Finally, Terry manages to get it off. He tosses the garment away, his eyes locked on the boy's torso. Much like the little girl Terry once mistook him for, Edd tries to cover himself with both hands. For such a smart kid, he really doesn't learn too quick…Terry grabs his wrists and pins them to the bed on either side of Edd's head. Then, he finally enjoys the view he's anticipated for so long.

It's about what he expected. Devoid of _any_ muscle, but not malnourished. With a grin, he releases one of Edd's hands to touch him. Before his fingers can even graze the pale flesh, though, Edd uses his now-free hand to push Terry's away. Terry looks up to glare at him, making the boy flinch and gaze at him with those pleading eyes.

"I told you to lay _still!_ "

Edd wraps his arm around his middle in a pitiful attempt to cover himself. Gritting his teeth, Terry decides now's the perfect time to implement some of his new toys. He releases Edd's other wrist, but uses that hand to hold Edd's shoulder down as he reaches over into the side drawer. From there, he retrieves the chains, which glint in the light and _clack_ and _clank_ together menacingly. It draws a strangled cry out of Edd.

"No no no!" he screams like a mantra as he tries to squirm out from under the hand holding him down.

Terry ignores this, focusing on clasping the manacles around the thin wrists. They nearly slip off again, but a quick adjustment to the leather straps has them fitting snugly. Once they're locked in properly, he hooks the other ends around the bedposts. Finally, Edd's arms are restrained away from his body, allowing Terry to do as he pleases. All he can do now is mumble his pleas and squirm in discomfort.

After a quick glance back at Edd's face, Terry finally brings his hands down to touch Edd's bare torso. The small body twists and turns, recoiling from his hands, before ultimately and reluctantly submitting. Shooting him a wicked grin, Terry traces the sides of Edd's body with both hands, his breathing labored slightly. He drags his hands down further to squeeze the hips plush with baby fat. Fuckin' adorable…Back up the slender body towards the dusky nipples. Edd's squirming increases as he tries to draw his legs up. Terry licks his lips, trying to withhold the drool he can feel gathering on his lips as he runs his thumbs over the sensitive nubs. Edd whines in protest, his head whipping back and forth as he tries to deny the pleasurable sensation taking him. It draws a chuckle from the man.

"Relax, Princess," he purrs, leaning closer, "Let yourself enjoy it…"

As Edd lays his head back to weep, Terry presses his lips to the soft flesh beneath him. It wrenches a loud sob from Edd in response, which is muffled slightly by the chains _clanking_ above him. His wailing is made worse as Terry kisses all around his chest, while also kneading his hips with his fingers. Worse still, of course, when the man's lips latch around one of his nipples.

"Stop! Stop! Please!"

He tries to bring his legs up between them in hopes of pushing him away, but Terry is not at all deterred. His grip on Edd's hips tightens as he glances at his face. My but it _is_ a pretty sight. Absolute terror. He's never seen _this_ expression on his little darling's face before. It's never been in the pictures. He smirks a bit. It's as lovely as he anticipated. He returns his attention back to the hardening nub between his lips. Using his tongue and teeth, he makes the boy squirm. Not in fear or pain anymore, but in pleasure. Damn right he feels good. He intends to make Edd love every second of this. Just takes some…convincing. With that in mind, he switches his attention to the other nipple, jerking a cry from Edd's breast in response to the stimulation.

After thoroughly toying with and suckling at the now slick and hard nubs, Terry rises to sit up again. Edd's thrashing has slowed considerably. His little chest is heaving — a lack of oxygen from all the screaming he'd been doing, probably — and his skin has flushed a light pink. Light compared to his face, certainly. While the rest of him is still relatively pale with only the slightest tint of blush, his face is a burning red with shame. Cute as fuck…And it made those pretty green eyes pop even more.

"I think you liked that, Princess…"

Edd cringes in response, shutting his eyes tight to him. Oh what a cruel punishment that is; to be denied the pleasure of looking into those lovely green orbs. He'll have to break him of that tendency. In the meantime, though…

Scooting back a bit so that he's able to more comfortably reach Edd's feet, he decides to get on with it. He grabs the boy's small, teal shoes and shucks them off, tossing them across the room. Won't be needing _those_ ever again…It draws Edd from his pleasurable meditation and back to him. He sees his sock-clad feet, now bare of the shell of his shoes, and his toes curl self-consciously as he also draws his knees together. He's still trying to come to his senses, as evidenced by the mumbling gibberish (which sounds vaguely like a return to his earlier pleas) that passes his lips.

With a wicked grin, Terry grabs one of the boy's legs and presses himself against the slender limb. He places soft kisses against the boy's knee as he squeezes the tender calf. A new discovery is made as he does so. The little squeezes draw a giggle from the boy. He tries to stifle it; his body isn't totally prepared to feel mirth like this and he clearly doesn't want to give the man the satisfaction of knowing that something he'd done had affected him 'positively'. But it had managed to slip through. It had almost been too soft to hear. So much so that it drove Terry to try again. Another tiny giggle, coupled with a squirm as he tries to pull his leg away. It makes Terry want to laugh too. His little Princess is _ticklish._

He decides first to continue testing this theory. He peels Edd's socks down from where they'd been pulled up to just below his knees. The more soft, smooth skin that is revealed to him, the more he leans in to leave tender kisses in his wake. Edd tries to pull his leg away, muttering his little whimpers that Terry has long stopped paying any mind to. No; too focused is he on the taste of Edd's flesh and the softness of his skin beneath his lips and tongue. He glides his fingers over Edd's little feet and tiny toes, making the boy squirm harder and release several giggles interspersed with loud sobs in his efforts to quell the ticklish reaction. Terry chuckles softly. _God damn precious._ He gives the other leg the same treatment, peeling the sock down and off before throwing them away as well. Sucking in a sharp breath of air, he feels his way up Edd's legs, his eyes drifting closed again for a moment until they graze the fabric of the purple shorts. As Terry unbuttons one of the last lingering coverings Edd has, the boy becomes hyper alert.

"No!" he gasps softly, trying to pull on the chains to move away from him, "Good lord, _no!_ N-Not that! Have you no _shame?!_ Have you no decency in you whatsoever?!"

"Not really," Terry snickers back, slipping his thumbs past the waistband on the shorts.

Whatever pitiful plea that Edd attempts to sway him with goes ignored as Terry begins sliding the clothing down his legs, revealing his white underwear. The thrashing returns with even more vigor as Edd screams and begs for him to stop. Some change slips out of the right pocket of the shorts, falling to the bed with a few _plinks_ as they collide with each other upon their landing. A single key joins them, slipping from the back pocket this time. Terry gathers the items up and places them in his own pocket among the other keys and his own change before discarding the shorts entirely. The sight of the near-perfectly clean briefs against the pale body sends a shiver through him. The innocence before him is palpable. Little Edd, lying beneath him so terribly exposed down to his most private underthings.

Another shiver of delight. One last little slab of fabric is all that shields him from his prize. Licking his lips, he dips his thumbs beneath the waistband of the briefs. He gives the boy one quick look. He's still sobbing. Still begging him against what he's about to do. His face is beet red and wet with tears. Whether that blush is from shame or his incessant screaming, Terry's not quite sure anymore, but, as he yanks the underwear down the slender legs and tosses them aside, he imagines it to be the former. Edd goes stock still then, a mixture of shock and shame. His breathing is horribly labored and his voice is hoarse already from his cries.

This too is about what he expected. True to his word, Edd is indeed a boy. He's fairly certain he's reached puberty — evidenced by the presence of very fine pubic hair — but his development isn't very far yet. This knowledge ebbs slightly at his desire as he lays his eyes upon this obviously young child, though it doesn't wholly deter him. Brow cocked, he peels off his own plaid shirt.

"So, Princess," he murmurs, dropping his shirt by the bed as he leans over Edd, "Confirm somethin' for me." Edd peeks up at him through his tears. "How old are you?"

Gazing up at him, Edd blinks the tears away, searching Terry's face rather than answering. Terry doesn't rush him for a response. He's fairly certain about the answer to this — it's an assumption he's held for a while, but not something he necessarily knew for sure. After all, Eddy never actually come right out and said as much in his unending letters. Moments later, Edd shifts a little to make himself more comfortable.

"T…T-Twelve…"

Fuck…It was the answer he anticipated, but damn if he wasn't _hoping_ for a higher number.

"Fuckin' bullshit…" he grumbles lower than he believes Edd can hear, "Why couldn't ya have been just a _few_ years older…?"

It makes him hesitate moving any further. As often as he's dreamt of this…As long as he's wanted this…The actual clarification of Edd's age oddly turns out to be…a bit of a turn-off? All the fantasizing…All the desire…All this buildup…

"P…Please, mister…" Edd whimpers, bringing him back, "I-I want to go home…P-Please take me home!"

Cocking his brow, Terry glances at Edd's face. The pleading look in those pretty eyes makes him weak. Beautiful, emerald green, bordered with a light pink within the background of white. Those gorgeous eyes remain locked on his face, begging him for mercy. Begging him to be freed. It's those sweet, lovely eyes that ease his discomfort and chase away the doubt. Fuck it. Goddammit, fuck the uncertainty that had overtaken him. This is what he wants. He leans against the hand he rests beside Edd's head and moves close to whisper to him.

"I told you," he breathes, "You aint goin' back there ever again."

He can see the hurt in those eyes he loves so damn much, right before more tears well up in them. Sighing a bit, Terry rises to sit up.

"Your age don't mean dick to me…" he mumbles, "Not really. I went through too much bullshit just to get my hands on you in the first place. You're _mine_. And I aint gonna let that little number get in the goddamn way." He pauses to calm himself. "Now…I do have another question for you, Princess…"

Edd whines a bit, his fingernails digging into his palms.

"Tell me, sweetheart," Terry purrs, "My little Edd…You're about that age…Have you ever touched yourself before?"

The response he gets is a sharp gasp and another pitiful whine. Edd tries not to look at him, hunching his shoulders.

"No…N-Never!"

"Well…" Terry grins, placing his hands on Edd's hips again, "Then allow me, my little Princess, to give you a crash course. After all, it's healthy for a boy your age to explore his sexual desires." His look darkens. "And I've got a helluva lot of desires to share with you."

Edd shakes his head again; "No! No! Please!"

Of course, Terry ignores him. As he gazes down at the boy lying naked and quivering beneath him, he finds himself at a bit of a loss. What to do? What to try first? There's so much… _so much_ he wants to do to him. Stroking his chin and along his goatee, he tries to steady his breathing and think carefully about his next move. Should he just get right down to it? God knows he'd like to. He's waited so goddamn long for this. Why is he hesitating more?! A tiny whimper breaks through that thought and returns his attention back to his captive, who's trying his damnedest to curl up and away from him in a futile attempt to cover his genitals. It makes the man grimace. No way he can just go ahead and fuck him. Edd's too scared. He's not yet used to the idea of being with him physically. He can't just skip to the good part.

Not yet at least. Gotta _ease_ into it. Get him ready for the main event.

With that in mind, he's more slow in his removal of his own clothing, his expression one of deep thought. He's not really looking at Edd as he does this — not focused on his struggling or his sobbing. As he removes his pants, however, it becomes harder to ignore.

"Wh-What in sam hill are you _doing?!_ " Edd gawks, trying to pull himself away via the chains.

Terry doesn't answer. He's kicked off his shoes and is removing his pants. All that's left now are his boxers. His half-hard cock is tenting the fabric over his groin, which seems to startle Edd some. Clearly, Edd's never experienced anything quite like this before — whether it's himself or someone he knows. His parents are never home…Has he not yet experienced that dreaded accidental peek at his dad's junk? He really _will_ need a crash course…

He shoots the boy a sly grin as he pulls the waistband of his boxers down with one hand and takes hold of his cock with the other, stroking himself to full erection. The bright red in Edd's cheeks is contrasted pretty instantly by the color draining away from his face. It gives the man a small swell of pride. Yup, he's never seen an older man naked before. He doesn't maintain eye contact with the engorged organ for long, though, and his eyes snap shut within mere seconds.

"G-Good lord!" he whimpers, "Make yourself decent! _Please!_ Th-This is h- _highly_ inap-p-propriate!"

Terry scoffs; "Y'mean it wasn't _before…?_ "

He discards the final article of clothing before crawling over the boy again. Before anything else, he's been dying to feel Edd's skin upon his own. To experience that silky softness upon his own flesh. Keeping his eyes shut tight, Edd tries to turn his face away from the man, perhaps in a desperate hope that he'll leave him be. _No such luck, darlin'…_ Terry leans in close to Edd's neck and breathes in deep. Amidst the sweat and fear is the faint smell of books and a fragrant soap. It makes drool gather at the corners of his mouth. So excited is he to taint that smell with his own, as though further branding the boy as his property. Speaking of…He gazes in longing at the slender neck and shoulder. Edd's skin is utterly unblemished and so damn smooth.

Not for long…

He bends his head forward to latch his lips to the juncture of Edd's shoulder and neck. Edd screams softly, his voice nearly gone already. _Good. Maybe he can't screech like a lil banshee anymore…_ He works the skin between his lips and teeth until what's left behind is a lovely, shining bruise. When that's done, he starts moving down Edd's body. More whimpers and screaming follow, but he pays it no mind. He's heard plenty of Edd's screaming. Nothing new. Nothing he's not already heard and responded to. If Edd wants a reply, he'll have to change his tone.

He moves down Edd's body until he reaches his small cock. His balls have dropped, Terry notes, but he really isn't far enough along in his development to be considered a man by any stretch. Still a boy; a pretty, girly-boy. He wonders, vaguely, if he's even capable of ejaculation yet. _One way to find out…_ He grins up at the boy, who's still not looking at him out of shame.

"So, Princess…" he begins softly, suddenly alerting the boy to his position over his crotch, "You say you aint never touched yourself before, right?"

Edd doesn't answer vocally, instead shaking his head back and forth rapidly. Terry chuckles.

"Well, that's okay," he assures him, "That just means _I'll_ be the one to teach you how."

"I-I don't _want_ to!"

"Aww…but you _like_ to learn, don't you, my little bookworm?" Terry strokes the boy's outer thighs, groping his backside a bit. "Well, I'm gonna learn ya how to feel good."

"No!" Edd whines.

"Oh yes…" Terry moves his hands to the inside of Edd's thighs, "Don't you worry, beautiful. I'll go slow with you at first. Make you love it. Make you moan my name. You remember what it is, don't you?"

Edd tucks his chin to his chest, wincing a little.

"T-Terry…"

"Louder."

"Terry…"

"Very good, my little Edd," Terry purrs, sliding his hand up further, "Now, let me show you heaven."

With that, he cups Edd's balls, making him recoil in shock.

"Take your hands _off_ of my most private nether-regions!" Edd demands, "This is unsanitary! Immoral! I _insist_ you cease this vile behavior this _instant!_ "

"Fuck that."

Terry rolls the small scrotum in his hand, rubbing the slightly engorged testes with his thumb. Edd writhes on the bed, his hands clambering for everything and nothing all at once while he blathers incoherently for him to stop. Glancing up at Edd's face, Terry uses his other hand to carefully stroke the shaft of the boy's cock. That gets an even bigger reaction. Hoarse screams and stuttering gasps. Edd starts wildly kicking, desperate to make him stop. Grimacing, Terry grabs his legs and shoots him a look.

"If you don't hold still, I'm gonna have to get rough."

"I will _not!_ " Edd wails, "Take your _filthy_ hands off of me, you brute! I will not allow you to violate me _any_ farther!"

Terry heaves a mocking laugh; "Oh yeah? And just what're you gonna _do_ about it, _Princess?_ Aint nobody around to hear you — to _help_ you. S'just you 'n me…" He reaches up to lace his fingers with Edd's, "and I aint about to let you slip through my fingers."

"No!" Edd tries to pull his hands away, but the chains prevent him from moving them much at all, "You can't _do_ this to me! I'm just a _child!_ Can you honestly tell me you are comfortable engaging in such _wretched_ behavior as violating a _child?!_ "

" _Enough!_ " Terry barks back, one hand closing around the thin throat.

Whatever further protests Edd might have made get caught in his throat. The chains prevent him from bringing his hands down to try and pry Terry's hand off of him. Only when his eyelids start to flutter and his choked breathing slows does the man let up and ease his grip. Edd coughs as oxygen floods his lungs again.

"I told you I'd start gettin' rough if you didn't hold still," Terry growls.

Edd's started crying again and he's peering up at him through tearful eyes.

"A…Are…A-Are you going to…t-to…kill me…?"

Terry glares at him, enraged at the very suggestion. He rests his forehead against Edd's.

"Not if you do what I _say._ "

Edd gazes into his eyes, his breathing uneven. He doesn't respond further than that, but as far as Terry's concerned, he doesn't need to. He's stopped his screaming and sobbing. That's enough proof that he's finally gotten the memo.

Now he can finally get serious.

Sitting up, Terry reaches back into the bedside table drawer. Edd takes a tentative peek inside before gasping softly and turning his head away again with a bright blush. Terry, meanwhile, picks out one of the bottles of lubricant. Gonna start small and slow. At least for now. He settles himself between Edd's legs, hoisting them up on either side of his hips. As Edd glances back at him, brow furrowed, Terry coats his fingers in the slick gel.

"Wh…What is that?"

Terry grins at him; "This is what's gonna stop you from hurtin' too much while I play with you."

Edd pouts; "But…what… _is_ it?"

"Lube," Terry explains, "To help stretch you out."

"I don't understand…"

"You really don't know shit about sex, do you?"

Edd pales, his eyes growing wide. He turns his attention down to look at the man's cock, still hard and dangerously close to his own. That prideful smirk returns to Terry's lips as Edd seems to compare the size-difference between them. He chuckles softly, pushing Edd's legs further apart.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," he purrs, "I can make it fit."

"Th-That doesn't make any sense!" Edd protests, "C-Copulation occurs b-between a man and a _woman_ for the sake of reproduction!"

"So you _do_ know about sex?" Terry comments, cocking his brow, "But clearly not much…Sex aint _just_ for makin' babies, Princess."

"B-But I'm _not_ a girl!"

Terry rolls his eyes; "I'm aware." He lowers his gel-coated fingers, grazing the sensitive flesh of Edd's perineum and making the boy cringe in shock. "But you're enough of a girl for _me._ And that's all that matters."

"No! No!" Edd sobs, "P-Please! Not that!"

Ignoring Edd's pleas, Terry carefully works his finger into the boy's anus. The ring of muscle is tight and unyielding as Edd cries out in shock and pain. He tugs harder on the chains, shrieking his discomfort. Terry places his hand on Edd's abdomen, holding him down.

"Easy, Princess," he coos, "It always hurts a little at first."

"Stop! Please!" Edd wails, "I beg of you! It hurts!"

Terry heaves a laugh at that.

"This is nothing," he snickers, "You're gonna have a lot bigger than this up your cute little ass before the night's over."

Pathetic little whines and pleas are all Edd can manage in response to that. Terry works his finger in and out, pushing it in as deep as he can manage, then back out to simulate things to come.

"Relax, sweetheart," Terry commands softly, "It only hurts more when you're all tense."

In response, Edd tries to calm his breathing, his toes curling as he attempts to relax his body. _Good._ He knows this is inevitable. His little Princess is smart enough to grin and bear it. Well, maybe not 'grin', per say, but he will be bearing with it since he can't hope to escape. Terry allows him several minutes to adjust to the feeling before adding in a second finger. Slow n' steady and all that shit. Another painful cry slips past Edd's lips and he arches his back again. Like the first finger, he spends plenty of time allowing Edd to adjust. This time, however, he begins scissoring his fingers back and forth as well; carefully stretching him out. The tears have begun anew and Edd's trying his damnedest to escape the probing fingers.

"No more! Please!"

With his free hand resting beside Edd's body, Terry leans forward into his face.

"Shh…"

Those pleading eyes fall upon him again.

"Puh…Please…L-Let me go…Stop this…"

"Oh no, Princess…" Terry coos, leaving tender little kisses over Edd's tear-soaked cheeks, "Not when I'm this close."

Sniffling, Edd bows his head, pulling his knees towards himself. His thighs brush against Terry's hips, making the man moan softly in desire. His eyes roam over Edd's face for a moment before he leans in to kiss him again. Edd gives a warbling moan into his lips, screwing his eyes shut tight. His tongue slips into Edd's mouth, slithering over the boy's teeth and playing with his tongue. Assuming that Edd's distracted enough by this, he manages to squeeze in one more finger. Edd breaks away from the kiss by turning his head away, screaming. Rolling his eyes, Terry grabs his jaw and turns his head back.

"What'd I say about relaxing?"

"Stop…! Stop…!" Edd sobs softly, his eyes still shut tight, "I…I can't take it…! Please…! Please stop…!"

"Just bear with it a lil longer. Trust me, darlin' this is necessary for what I got planned for you. Without this, it'd hurt a helluva lot worse."

Finally, Edd opens his eyes, looking straight up. Not at anything in particular, as far as Terry can tell. Just gazing up and staring through the wall.

"I beg of you," he whimpers, silenced momentarily as Terry stretches all three fingers, "Please stop this. Please!"

"You can ask that till you're blue in the face, but I aint gonna do it. I've waited too damn long for this. So you're gonna lie back and fuckin' take it."

He works Edd's ass for a while, carefully stretching out the fragile ring of muscle. When he believes that Edd's loosened up enough, he decides there's no better time to get to the main event. After he's removed his fingers, he sees Edd heave a sigh of relief and his body finally go lax. He's not sobbing like before, and has instead been reduced to allowing silent tears to trickle down to soak his hair and the sheets beneath. His eyes have slid blissfully shut. Aside from the occasional whispered plea, Terry could have mistaken him to be sleeping. He takes the opportunity to coat his cock with the lubricant while also stroking himself back to full erection. All of Edd's blubbering had been an unexpected turn-off…

Only when he tosses the bottle of lube back into the drawer does Edd finally look at him again. His weary eyes fall upon him before drifting down towards his groin. They go wide in horror at the sight of the man's engorged penis, glistening with the colorless gel. The chains _clink_ and strain as Edd scrambles to pull away.

"N-No! No!" he shrieks, "Y-You wouldn't!"

Terry doesn't respond to that. Why bother? It's the same bullshit over and over. Nothing he says at this point will change it. Edd's legs kick wildly as Terry grabs his hips, but his efforts are ultimately futile. Despite refusing to hold still, his legs are spread wide to accommodate the man's girth and they're held in place. As the head of Terry's cock presses against his already sore hole, Edd tries to bring his knees together — to close his legs in a pitiful attempt to stop the unstoppable. It only serves to squeeze Terry's waist, however, and help to hold him in place. Because of this, Terry has to expend a lot less effort in keeping him still and he only needs to use one hand to hold Edd's hip. He keeps the other around his cock as he begins moving his hips, slowly pushing past that tight ring of muscle.

The screaming that Terry has chosen to tune out starts to break through again. More of the same begging and pleading — _Stop! Please! No More! Dear God, STOP!_ — goes ignored as the man returns the hand that was on his cock to its place on Edd's hip. He starts pulling Edd towards him, gritting his teeth against the tight heat constricting his cock. When he's pulled the boy flush against his hips, he stops for a moment.

He throws all expectations out the window. It's so much better than he would have ever imagined. His head swims, dizzy from the experience. Almost too tight, but deliciously warm. As far as he's concerned, it's a perfect fit. Heavenly. Terry's eyes flutter shut and he bends forward. Whatever Edd's doing, he hardly notices. All that exists is this pleasure. He nuzzles his nose against Edd's neck, sucking in his tantalizing smell.

"Fuuuuuck…" he sighs, his hands sliding up and down Edd's hips.

It's not long before he finds he _has_ to move again, like he has no control over his own body. Almost on their own, his hips give a sharp jerk back and forth, making Edd yelp in pain. He carefully rises to sit up, his breathing labored slightly as his desire washes over him. Edd squints up at him, likely unable to focus much through his pain. Sure it must hurt. Hell, he knows it does. But why should he care about that shit? Particularly when _he_ feels this good…Gripping Edd's hips tight, he starts rocking into him in earnest.

He's tempted to remove the chains. It's not like he necessarily needs them right now. Edd can't get away and damn if he doesn't want to feel those adorable little hands on him — even if it's to push him away. No. Not yet. He does, however, bend forward again to press his body against Edd's. The sensation of their flesh rubbing together with each thrust is pure heaven. He moans into Edd's ear, hissing his name and all the little pet names he can think of.

"My name, Princess," he breathes, "Moan it for me, sweetheart."

Edd shakes his head. Cocking his brow, Terry slips his hand between them to stroke Edd's cock in time with his thrusts. That gets him talking.

"T-Terry!" he whines, drawing another long moan from the man, "S-Stop! Please!"

Of course, he doesn't. It only makes him increase his pace. His hands are locked on Edd's hips so tight that he wonders if he can even pry them away when this is done. But that's a worry for later. All that matters now is the bliss of their union. The speed and strength of his thrusts are becoming more and more intense. Edd's screams have faded as his voice gives out and he can only manage grunts and groans to voice his agony. Terry's long since abandoned his attempts to arouse Edd as well. He can work on that later. For now, he needs to get the hell off.

Finally, that wonderful peak draws near. Terry hoists himself up, leaning against one arm while gripping Edd's hip with the other. Edd's barely clinging to consciousness, his eyes glazing over.

"Stay with me, Princess," he commands softly through his panting breath, "C'mon, I wanna hear you moan my name. Tell me what I wanna hear."

It appears to only just get through.

"T…Terry…" he mumbles softly, "Ter…ry…"

Good enough. Burying his nose in the crook of Edd's neck, Terry pulls Edd in to meet his thrusts. Nearly there…His vision starts to tunnel. Closer still. He bites and gnaws on Edd's neck, his moans muffled by the boy's soft flesh. It's with a low, deep groan that he reaches his orgasm, his body going tense as he cums inside Edd. His toes curl and his fingers clutch at Edd's hip and at the sheets below. His teeth clamp shut, drawing a sharp cry out of Edd.

As he comes down from that high, he can taste some blood on his teeth. Looking down at Edd's neck, he finds that the skin that had been caught between his teeth while his body tensed is bleeding. It's nothing serious, but it clearly hurts. Edd's weakly trying to pull his hands down to hold his neck. He's not trying to pull away from Terry anymore. Must be too tired or in too much pain for that.

Once Terry's breathing has calmed enough, he reaches up to undo the chains. Edd glances at him, his brow furrowed. When his arms are free, he gingerly pulls them down, curling up a bit as he holds his bleeding neck. Terry feels the boy's ass constrict around his cock — a reflex movement to remind him of the obstruction, most likely — and he sees him cringe in pain.

"Hold still," he grumbles with a sigh.

Despite how badly he wants to just stay like this for the rest of the night, he carefully pulls his cock out from that tight heat. The sensation draws a soft hiss from him and a sob from Edd before Terry settles again beside him. He pulls Edd's fragile body against his own, sighing contently. Edd looks up at him, quivering as Terry combs his fingers through his hair.

"Be good for me, Princess," he commands softly, "You stay here with me and get some sleep and I'll give you a treat when we wake up."

Edd doesn't respond. Instead, he curls up a bit, tucking his head into Terry's shoulder. Pleased, Terry grabs the blanket and pulls it up over them. Then it's back to cradling Edd to him like a child coddles a doll until he drifts to sleep.


	8. Ch 7 - A Bro-gone Conclusion

Hours pass before Terry stirs from his pleasant slumber. He swears he can still feel his body tingling. As he becomes more and more aware of his waking, he notices that the small body he fell asleep upon is no longer beneath him. With a languid stretch, he reaches out to touch him. Instead, his fingers meet only the sheets.

His eyes shoot open. The spot where Edd really _should_ be is vacant. He grits his teeth and turns to the door. The panic that had taken him quells instantly. The door's not yet been opened and Edd's still in the room with him. He's struggling with the door, key in his shaking hand, but unable to make contact with the lock. Terry grimaces a bit when he notices that Edd's pulled his clothes back on. Beside him on the floor are his shoes — guess he didn't want to put _them_ on 'til he got out? — and Terry's discarded pants.

Rolling his eyes, Terry clears his throat, reclining on the bed when Edd freezes.

"Did I fuckin' say you could get outta bed?" he grumbles, "Get back over here so I don't have to come get you."

Edd hunches forward slightly, hesitating in his movements. Finally, he speaks in a soft, hoarse voice.

"Puh…Please…" he begs, "I-I want to go _home…_ "

"Ask me if I care," Terry scoffs, "Now, get over here. I aint gonna tell you again."

Still, Edd hesitates. If Terry had to guess, he's calculating his options. Best make sure those options are limited to coming back to him. Whipping the covers off of himself, he throws his legs over the side of the bed and rises to his feet.

"You're pushin' your luck, kid _._ "

He can see Edd quivering now before he finally turns around. When he finds the man still naked, he averts his gaze, his legs bending inward and his hands coming up to grab the edge of his hat and the hem of his shirt.

"N…N-No!" he stutters, "I-I'm going _home!_ "

Terry shoots him a menacing look, his fingers curling into fists.

"I told you, _Princess,_ " he growls, stepping towards him, "You _are_ home. You belong to _me_ now."

"I _belong_ in Peach Creek!" Edd retorts, leaning back against the door. "With my friends! And my parents! A-And I want to return to them _immediately!_ "

"Tough shit," Terry takes a rough grip on Edd's wrist, yanking his hand towards him and forcing him to pull his hat off again. "I said you're _mine!_ And that means you're gonna do what I fuckin' say. And I _say_ you're gonna get your sweet little ass back into bed!"

Edd struggles against him, trying to pry Terry's hand off of his wrist.

"Take your hands _off_ of me!" he cries, "I'm going _home!_ "

With a growl, Terry drags Edd back over to the bed and grabs the chains that are still connected to the frame. Before the boy can protest much further, Terry latches the first manacle back onto his wrist.

"No!" Edd screams, trying to pull his arm away, "Take them _off!_ "

"Shut _up!_ " Terry sneers, smacking him once across his face.

When Edd lifts his free hand to caress his cheek, Terry grabs that wrist too and forces it into the other shackle. He shoves Edd onto the bed, locking him back into place. Edd sobs pathetically in response, writhing against his bonds. Terry climbs up onto the bed with him. Before anything else, he yanks the purple shorts and underwear back down and throws them away again. Edd tries his damnedest to kick his socked feet, but to no avail. Terry decides to shuck the socks off as well. Now that Edd's arms are restrained above him like before, he can't hope to remove his shirt intact anymore. So why bother trying to _leave_ it intact? Taking the part of the shirt that he tore earlier in hand, he tears it completely in half to expose Edd's torso to him once again. Edd throws his head back and forth, shrieking in earnest.

"No no no!" He kicks his legs and pulls on the chains, "Let me _go! Let me go!_ "

Terry raises his hand again; "I told you to _shut up!_ "

Edd's eyes are screwed shut or he might've seen _that_ smack coming. He sobs pitifully, still tugging at the chains. Jesus _fuck!_ Terry feels like his ears are fuckin' bleeding! He hits him again in a desperate hope to silence him. And again. And again…

Finally, Edd lies still, sniffling and stuttering as he tries to silence himself. ' _Bout fuckin' time!_ With a huff, Terry reclines beside him. This is turning out to be more of a headache than he initially bargained for. While he rubs his forehead to quell his anger, he vaguely notices that Edd's pulled his legs to his chest and he's trying to curl up and away. Rolling his eyes, Terry grabs his leg and pulls him onto his back again. It makes Edd whine in protest, but that's about it. Otherwise, he doesn't fight. Pleased, Terry holds onto the boy's leg, petting the soft skin of Edd's thigh. The little, mewling whimpers he earns are fuckin' precious. He admires him in silence for a while. No more screaming or yelling. It's finally pleasant. That is, before Edd ruins it by _talking._

"Why are you doing this…?" he asks softly.

Well, at least he's quieter about it…

"Cuz I want to."

Edd turns to peek at him.

"Where…Wh-Where did you get those…pictures…?"

Cocking his brow, Terry looks back at him, making Edd blush and look away again.

"Y-You have…p-pictures…" he explains, "I-In the cabinet…"

"What were you doin' lookin' through my shit?"

"Trying to find a key for the door," Edd grumbles, his look becoming more angry for a second, "I didn't see where you put it…" He pauses, taking a shaky breath. "Where did you get those pictures? And so… _many?_ Have…H-Have you been _spying_ on me? A-And for how _long?!_ "

"Not important."

"Yes it _is!_ " Edd whines, struggling again, "You've put me through the most vile experience I've ever endured and I don't know _why!_ I _demand_ an answer! _Why_ are you doing this to me?! Why _me?!_ "

Terry doesn't answer right away. He wonders how much of that he even _should_ answer. How _would_ his little Princess react to learning his own best friend had, in a sense, betrayed him? That his best friend had been the one to send him those pictures which drove him to this madness?

He's brought from these musings by his stomach growling. Shit…Guess it _has_ been a while since he's eaten, and he worked up one hell of an appetite…Putting a smile on his face, he turns his focus back to Edd and leans over him.

"Are you hungry, Princess?" he asks softly, tracing Edd's lip with his thumb.

"I don't want _food!_ " Edd snaps back, jerking his head away, "I want _answers!_ Why do you have those pictures?!"

"I told you, Princess," Terry sneers, "It's not important. What's important now is that you're finally here and you're mine."

"I'm not _yours!_ "

"You say that, but we'll change that attitude soon enough," Terry chuckles, rising to his feet.

He walks over to his closet, ignoring the _clanking_ of chains from the bed as he grabs his robe. As he pulls it on, he returns to Edd's side. He leans over him again, drawing close to his face.

"You wait here, Princess. I'll bring you something yummy."

After a quick peck to his lips, he stands straight and leaves the room, grabbing the key from where it had been left in the door. Edd starts screaming, but it's cut short the second Terry shuts the door again. It's good to have that confirmation that the soundproofing is so effective. Satisfied, he retreats to the kitchen. As he passes the bathroom, however, he stops, suddenly aware of his full bladder. A quick stop to bleed the lizard and then it's back to his mission for food. Swinging by the fridge first, he guzzles down a bottle of water to quench the intense thirst he'd built up earlier. He slams the bottle down onto the counter, his breathing ragged and heavy from the long drink. Then, he returns to the fridge to look for anything quick and easy he can make for Edd to eat.

He never liked to cook — too much work — so any meals he'd prepare himself were usually easy to manage. There were some exceptions, of course — can't beat bacon for breakfast — but he liked simple. As such, the components to make a variety of simple sandwiches are all here; a few deli meats like ham and bologna, a jar of pickles, peanut butter with its partner jelly beside it, and some condiments. But what would a kid Edd's age like? PB&J seems like a winner. All kids like _that,_ right? It's a staple of childhood…With that in mind, he retrieves the two jars and sets them on the counter before grabbing the bag of bread. It hasn't been a week yet since he bought it, so he's not _too_ worried about the bread going bad, but he checks it anyway just in case. All good; no questionable-looking splotches or possible mold and a quick test of the texture shows that it's still soft and malleable, as opposed to hard and dried out. Good.

While he prepares a couple of sandwiches, he wonders how long he was out…They got in around five, but is it even the same day? Is it morning now? A glance at the window above the sink suggests otherwise. It's dark as fuck out there, save for the soft glow of artificial light shining from the other side of the trailer. And he can just hear the music from the park creeping under his door. Park's still open. How long _have_ they been back? He turns to the clock on his microwave. 10:00 P.M. That would explain why he can hear the noises of the park…

Okay, so now he knows the time, but there's a much more pressing matter he must address regarding his little 'house guest'. He munches absentmindedly on one of the sandwiches as he ponders. He hadn't anticipated Edd to be so damn stubborn. Everything he'd gathered from Eddy gave him the impression that his Princess was an obedient little waif when in the presence of authority figures and that he would follow any order given to him by an adult. Instead, he was surprisingly rebellious. Guess it _kind've_ made sense…A kid wouldn't (or really _shouldn't_ ) be _as_ ready for sexual stuff like an adult would be. Even so, Edd's refusal to submit to him is not what he expected and he's not pleased about it. He expected a fight, but not quite to this extent.

It occurs to him that he may have a problem on his hands. Not necessarily Edd's disobedience —that much will be easy enough to deal with over time. Edd's screaming is what's proving to be a concern. If he can't get Edd to keep his damn mouth shut before the week is out, he may not be able to leave him alone. At least not for very long. And with Mike riding his ass about work, he can't afford to miss his shifts and risk having him or any of his other coworkers snooping around his trailer. He also can't just keep Edd bound up and gagged for hours on end. As easy as that is on the surface, it'd make him even more stiff and unresponsive, which would make training him a lot more difficult. He'll have to give Edd _some_ mobility, but still limit it so that he can't actually escape. Keeping him in the bathroom would be the easiest solution, he thinks — make sure Edd has access to the toilet when he can't be home and all that. It'll reduce any unwanted messes too. But if Edd's gonna be screaming all the damn time, then he'll have to make some adjustments in the bathroom.

Seems like another trip to the hardware store is in order…

But that'll have to wait, he needs to bring Edd his food. Grabbing the plate, he does just that, returning to the bedroom. As expected, when he opens the door, Edd tries to start screaming again, but it doesn't last. Terry shuts the door and locks it up too quick after slipping back inside. Clearly, Edd's figured out that screaming when the door's shut is futile. What gets Terry's attention next, though, is how Edd's situated himself. He's pulled himself up so that his face is closer to the leather strap of the manacles and has managed to loosen one just enough to slip his right hand out. He must have just done that too, because the other wrist is still bound tight and rather than try to free it, he's instead pulled the covers up haphazardly over his nether regions. Cocking his brow, Terry approaches the bed, making the boy begin to shake.

"What a busy little bee you've been…" he murmurs, setting the plate on the bedside table top.

"I want to go home," Edd states, his voice aquiver.

Terry turns to him with a sneer; "You keep sayin' that like it's something that's gonna fuckin' happen if you do."

He mounts the bed, straddling Edd's waist. The boy's free hand comes up to push and smack against Terry's chest and shoulder, demanding he leave him be. Terry's hateful grimace intensifies as he grabs that wrist in a bruising grip. Edd's words slip into pitiful little squeals of pain and surprise. He gazes up at Terry, delicious fear shining in his eyes. It almost makes the man's angry look falter in delight. But he doesn't let the mask fall.

"I'm gettin' damn tired of this disobedient bullshit from you," he growls, "If you don't keep your pretty little mouth shut and do what I fuckin' tell you, I _will_ hurt you. I ain't gonna kill you, but I'll make you _wish_ I did. Do you understand me?"

He can see Edd gulp as he shrivels in on himself and nods.

"Good," Terry growls, "Then I expect a change of tone, _Princess._ I expect you to show me a little respect."

Again, Edd nods. Those fearful eyes flicker over to the door and then back to Terry's face.

"M…May I…M-May I puh- _please_ use the lavatory…?" he asks softly, his cheeks flushing slightly in embarrassment.

"The what?"

Edd shifts a bit, looking uncomfortable; "B-Bathroom."

"Ah. I dunno, sweetheart," Terry retorts, "I'm still pretty miffed 'bout the way you been actin'. I think you owe me a lil apology first."

Edd pouts up at him before mumbling something under his breath.

"What was that?"

After a soft sigh, Edd speaks a little louder; "I-I'm _sorry,_ Terry…"

"Sorry for _what?_ "

A little whimper. "I-I'm sorry for my behavior, Terry."

"That's better," Terry purrs, leaning down to kiss him again, "Sure, I'll take you to the bathroom."

Before he unshackles Edd, however, he reaches back into the drawer and withdraws the ball gag.

"Wh-What's that…?" Edd asks shakily.

"Just a lil somethin' to make _sure_ you don't go screamin' your head off again."

Edd hunches his shoulders; "Wh-What if I just… _promise_ not to…?"

Terry chuckles, unlatching the strap on the gag.

"You must think I'm pretty stupid to suggest _that,_ " he comments, holding each strap of the gag, "Now, that's enough questions. Open your mouth."

As expected, Edd's reluctant at first. He clamps his mouth shut, staring at the big, red ball in concern.

"C'mon, Princess," Terry coos, "Just pretend it's one of them jawbreakers you love so much."

With a weak sneer, Edd finally obeys, opening his mouth slightly.

"Wider."

Edd winces at the command, but does as he's told. Content, Terry shoves the ball into Edd's mouth, startling him and making him gag for a moment. Before Edd can try to push him away again with his feeble little hand, Terry leans over him and adjusts the strap around Edd's head so that the device is secured tightly into place. He then grabs Edd's free wrist and sits back again.

"There we go," he states cheekily, "How's that feel, sweetheart? Too tight?"

Edd nods, his brow furrowed against his discomfort.

"Good."

He slides off the bed again before reaching up to unlatch the manacle around Edd's left wrist. When the boy is free, Terry pushes the shredded shirt off of the boy's shoulders and discards it before helping him to his feet again. Edd's free hand shoots immediately to his groin in an attempt to cover his genitals. He asks a muffled question that Terry clearly can't understand, drawing the man to cock his brow in response. Shoulders slumping, Edd gestures towards Terry's robe and then to himself. Now it starts to make sense. _Can I have something to cover up with?_

"No," Terry says firmly, turning Edd towards the door, "After your little potty break and after you've had a bite to eat, we're gonna get back down to business. And you aint gonna need clothes for that."

Edd responds with a muffled wail, which Terry ignores as he leads Edd from the room. The boy's stiff and he walks awkwardly; clearly still in pain from losing his virginity. Before they step through the door, Terry grabs the strap near the back of Edd's head while also digging his fingers into the boy's hair. It draws another squeal of pain from Edd, but the message also gets through: _Try to run and I will hurt you._ Other than Edd bringing his hands up to try to pry Terry's off of him, he is unable to do much against the action. Satisfied, Terry leads Edd to the bathroom, directing him by the hand on the back of his head. When they enter, Terry shuts and locks the door behind him (just in case) and then escorts Edd over to the toilet near the back of the room. At first, Edd does nothing but hold his hands over his crotch. Terry cocks his brow.

"Well?" he urges.

He can feel Edd trying to turn his head towards him and he allows it. The look in his eyes speaks volumes. _Privacy, please?_

"Did you think I was just gonna leave you _alone_ in here?" Terry scoffs, "Forget it, sweetheart. You've made it very clear that I can't trust you enough to leave you alone just yet. Until I can, I'm gonna have to keep a close eye on you. Now, I suggest you get to it, cuz this'll be the last chance you get till tomorrow."

Edd sobs softly behind the ball gag, his head falling forward again in shame. Drool has also begun slipping past the ball, making the flesh around his lips moist and shining. Terry licks his own lips, cursing the fact that he'll have to wait before he can taste that again. Hunching his shoulders, Edd shyly takes hold of his cock. It seems to take him several minutes to get into a proper mindset, which Terry can tell by the way the boy's ears burn a deep red in his embarrassment, but he finally manages to relieve himself. Terry absentmindedly checks his nails, waiting as patiently as he can. No real use in rushing it.

The toilet flushes, drawing him to turn his attention back to Edd. He ushers the boy to the sink to let him wash his hands. After seeing the extent of his OCD back at his home, he's not about to prevent him from washing his hands. Save _that_ little tactic for later, perhaps…

When Edd's all cleaned up, he returns with him to the bedroom. Only after the door is shut and locked behind them does Terry remove the ball gag. Once the obstruction is removed, Edd rubs at and stretches his jaw, sore already from the ball forcing his mouth to stay open. Terry doesn't let him work out the soreness for long before he forces Edd back onto the bed. Edd recoils from him, trying to move as far away as he can. Rolling his eyes, Terry grabs his ankle and drags him back over to him.

"No! No please!" Edd begs, digging his fingers into the sheets.

"Relax, _Princess,_ " Terry seers back, sitting down on the bed beside him, "We aint gonna get back to the good stuff for a while. Now, I _did_ say you could eat, didn't I?"

Startled, Edd glances to the bedside table before sighing softly. It relaxes him some and he allows Terry to pull him back over to the side of the bed. That relaxation is eradicated in an instant as Terry hoists Edd into his lap.

"Wh-What are you _doing?!_ " he gasps, wriggling against the hands holding him down.

"I said we're not gonna fuck again," Terry clarifies, burying his nose in Edd's neck, "At least not right away. But that don't mean I'm not gonna play with you while you eat."

"I don't like this…" Edd mumbles, still trying to slip off of Terry's lap to sit on the sheets instead.

He finally manages to shift back onto the mattress, but it doesn't do much good. Instead, Terry slips around to sit behind the boy. He doesn't pull Edd into his lap, opting to just sit behind him and rest his legs on either side of Edd's hips. He wraps his arm around Edd's waist, holding him still. Edd wriggles against him, trying to push himself away.

"That's enough of that," Terry orders, "I suggest you get to eatin', sweetheart. Cuz I ain't gonna let you make me wait to fuck again you for much longer."

Edd certainly doesn't look comfortable with this notion, but he seems to be at least halfway willing to comply with it. It's enough for now, Terry supposes. He'll show a bit of leniency for the time being — see if he can catch his little fly easier with honey. As long as Edd behaves himself, he won't have to get rough. And as long as Edd learns who the boss is, he'll continue giving him room to improve. He reaches over Edd and grabs the plate from the bedside table to hold it in front of him. Smart kid that he is, though, Edd's hesitant to take the sandwich. _Probably thinks it's poisoned or something…_

"Relax, Princess," Terry scoffs, rubbing Edd's hip, "I told you; I aint gonna kill you. And I aint interested in puttin' weird shit in your food." _Not yet…_

That's enough to calm him and urge him to take the sandwich into his hands. Terry sets the plate aside and returns his focus to embracing the small figure before him. He pulls Edd towards him so that the boy's bare back is flush against his chest. Edd reacts by pausing mid-bite and whining in discomfort.

"Shh…" Terry coos, leaning into Edd's ear as he moves his hands over the boy's thighs, "C'mon, darling…Gotta keep your energy up for tonight."

Edd gulps down his food, curling in on himself and quivering. He eats quickly, making Terry chuckle.

"Eager to get started again, huh?" he breathes, kissing the boy's neck.

He hears Edd gag a bit and sees him cover his mouth, but after a moment, he finishes the sandwich. Terry licks his lips, his hands moving back to grip Edd's hips.

"Now then," he purrs, "Let's get back to the fun."

"No…" Edd whimpers, trying to pry Terry's hands off of him.

He draws his legs inward, trying to shield his genitals from Terry's groping touch. But he's too weak. The meager meal did nothing to rejuvenate him and he's still well over-powered by his captor. Terry has him on his back before he can blink and he's already reaching for the lubricant.

Edd's whimpers turn to sobs; "No! Please no!"

"You'll like it if you just relax, Princess."

He pries Edd's legs apart again. As he coats his fingers in the lube, he considers other sexual exploits they can engage in. He could enjoy the feeling of Edd's mouth on him or vice versa. There are also all the toys he has lying in wait in the drawer, eager to be chosen and used on the quivering child. But that's not what he wants now. All he wants now is to revel in the feeling of skin upon skin. To be joined with his beloved now that he finally has him in his grasp. Anything else can wait.

As he prepares Edd, he chooses not to put the manacles back on him. He was too eager before. He wants to take his time now. Play with him, feel Edd's little hands upon him. He stretches Edd slowly, carefully. By the little whimpers that Edd's making and the way he's writhing, Terry can tell that he's still in great pain. His cute little toes are curled and he's digging his fingers into the man's chest. His voice is too hoarse to scream any more, but his mouth is open wide in anticipation of one. He's started crying again too, his tears soaking the pillow beneath his head. Terry relishes the sight. It's exhilarating to know he'd driven Edd to this moment. That it's because of _him_ that the boy is writhing and whining upon his sheets, begging for relief he has no interest in providing.

After several long minutes of carefully stretching Edd's abused hole, the boy finally collapses upon the mattress; too weak and hurt to fight it anymore. _That's more like it…_ Terry slides his hand up Edd's hip, tracing up along the plush waist. Edd squirms only a little at that. With half-lidded eyes, Terry leans over him, grinning wickedly as he supports himself with the hand he takes off of Edd's waist. He pauses, waiting for Edd to open his eyes to him. When he does, peering up at him with a small glimmer of hope floating helpless in the sea of green, Terry bends forward to kiss him, forcing those pretty eyes to close again. He doesn't cease stretching Edd's ass out though, making the boy grunt slightly every now and then. His little hands come up to try to push him away, but to no avail.

Terry does eventually pull away from the kiss, though it's only to remove his fingers and apply the lube to his cock. Edd lies in a heap below him, his little chest heaving up and down. He weakly shakes his head, pleading softly for him to stop. To let him go.

Of course he won't. He's in this for the long haul.

"Don't you worry, Princess," he breathes as he slips the robe off of himself, "I'll make it feel good."

As he begins to press his erect penis past the tight ring of Edd's anus, he strokes the boy's small, flaccid cock. Edd cries out in some mix of pain and pleasure, his fingers curling into the sheets and his knees drawing together. They falter when they meet Terry's bare torso, reminding him that the man above him is just as naked as he is. For whatever reason that makes him blubber even more.

Once Terry's fully sheathed his cock into Edd's ass, he waits for a moment. He gropes the soft flesh of Edd's thigh, moaning softly as he presses the boy's leg against his hip. Leaning over Edd, he presses his lips to the boy's neck, sucking gently at the soft flesh there. Edd whimpers a bit, peeking up at him shyly. Terry grins wickedly down at him.

"C'mon, sweetheart," he purrs, "Don't tell me it _still_ hurts."

Edd responds by heaving weary little sobs, the only thing he can manage right now. _Oh well…_ He hasn't relented in his assault on Edd's penis, slowly and carefully stroking the hardening flesh. It's a sensation Edd's clearly unused to. He turns his head away, humiliation creeping onto his cheeks to sit and burn. _So damn cute!_ Terry takes a gentle grip on Edd's jaw and forces him to look back at him, which Edd does quite reluctantly. His breath is rushing in and out as little hiccups he can't control, making his crying worse. It's almost sad, Terry must admit, but a part of him is undeniably turned on too. Something about seeing his little Princess cry — knowing that _he_ is the one who made him cry — is fuckin' _hot!_

Terry starts picking up his pace; both his stroking and his thrusts. Edd continues shaking his head weakly back and forth, mumbling softly. He can't respond much physically. His back arches a bit the longer Terry strokes his cock, but other than that, he's mostly limp. Tired. _That's okay…_ Terry leans in to pepper kisses along Edd's shoulder near where he bit him. _Just makes this all the easier._ He can see that Edd's only just clinging to his consciousness this time. He's still mumbling incoherently, his eyelids fluttering. Terry kisses along Edd's neck and up to his ear, his breathing heavy.

"Stay with me, Princess," he breathes, "Talk to me."

Those pretty green eyes roll to look at him.

"Puh…Please…" he slurs, "No more…Huh…Hurts…"

"I know…" Terry coos, dragging his hand up Edd's hip, "But just bear with it a little longer, sweetheart. I promise you'll love it."

Suddenly, Edd starts arching his back again, his whimpers becoming moans. He clings to Terry's arms, his nails digging into the man's flesh. Terry feels the ring around his cock tighten considerably. _Oh, my Princess is about to have his first orgasm!_ How appropriate. His little Edd should only ever experience sexual pleasure by _his_ hand, after all. It's not much longer before Edd's body goes stiff. His knees press against Terry's hips and his nails grip like talons on the man's arms. His hoarse little voice forces out a strangled cry as his body is wracked by his climax. But, as predicted, he doesn't ejaculate. _Still too young for that, I guess…_ The tightness around his cock helps Terry reach his own release. He pulls Edd towards him to meet his thrusts, holding him flush against him as he rides out his orgasm.

Nuzzling Edd's neck, the veil of pleasure begins to fade and he finds himself collapsed on top of to boy. He adjusts himself slightly, though Edd doesn't seem to notice. He's still panting heavily and sobbing about the pain. Terry brings Edd's hand to his lips and gently kisses his knuckles, soothing him ever so slightly. Certainly more than Terry removing his cock from Edd's ass, of course.

As Edd begins to slip into unconsciousness, Terry reluctantly rises to sit up. He reaches back into the drawer and retrieves the handcuffs. He'd rather not leave them on the boy all night, but he's been left with little option. Rather than lock the boy's wrists above him or behind him, however, he latches the cuffs to Edd's wrists in front of him. Should be a little more comfortable.

Before lying beside him, he sets up his alarm clock. He'll need to get up at least before noon tomorrow — before any of his coworkers will be out and about. 9:00 A.M. should do it. Once the alarm is set, he settles in beside Edd and pulls him in close. He moves Edd's arms so that they're locked around his neck. That'll keep him from slipping away again. Pulling the covers up over them both, he holds Edd close and settles in to sleep.


	9. Ch 8 - A Red Rag to a Bro

The alarm blaring on the bedside table shoots a jarring bolt of electricity through the slumbering forms. With a snarl, Terry slams his fist on the button to shut it off before burying his nose back into the crook of Edd's neck. Fuck, he could stay like this forever. Cradling his little beloved to him and breathing in the boyish scent that he'd so callously tainted. Edd squirms a little beneath him, struggling to move his arms so that he can rub his tired eyes. Oh yeah, he'd nearly forgotten how he'd left Edd the night before. Fuck, he has shit to do today, doesn't he…?

Grumbling a bit under his breath, he carefully moves Edd's arms off of his neck, but he doesn't remove the handcuffs. He grins down at the disheveled boy beneath him. Hair an absolute mess from the sex and his sleep, eyes red and a little puffy from all of the crying he did. _Now_ _ **there's**_ _a sight to wake up to…_

"Good morning, Princess," he breathes, kissing Edd's jaw.

Edd grimaces a bit, raising his hands to push his face away

"Please refrain from speaking so close to me until you've brushed your teeth," he grumbles, covering his mouth and nose.

Morning breath…Alright, fair enough. Rolling his eyes, Terry pushes himself to sit up and looks about before spotting his robe on the floor beside the bed. He reaches over for it and throws it on before taking a moment to rub the sleep out of his eyes.

"Alright, sweetheart," he yawns, "I got a few errands to run today. So I'm gonna get a shower." He relaxes a bit, grinning wickedly. "Would you like to join me?"

Edd wretches in disgust; "Absolutely _not._ "

Terry shrugs in response; "Have it your way."

"I'd _like_ to go home!"

Terry ignores him as he reaches into the drawer again for the ball gag. Edd groans, trying to slither away.

"Not _that_ again!" he whines, "Did you not hear me?! I said I _didn't_ want to! I _want_ to go home!"

"So I've heard," Terry rolls his eyes, "And you're not — not showerin' with me and not goin' home. But I'm at least gonna let you take a leak if you need to."

His choice of language makes Edd blush a little, but he has an air of understanding about him that makes him a bit more complacent. Still, he eyes the ball gag uneasily.

"Must you _really_ use that thing, though…?" he mumbles, "I-I promise I won't scream again. M-My throat hurts anyway…"

Terry shakes his head, "Nice try, Princess. You've proven to me that I can't trust you yet. You keep babbling about wantin' to go home, after all. But don't worry. We won't have to do it like this much longer. So just grin n' bear with it for now."

Edd grimaces, but he can tell he has no choice in the matter. Reluctantly, he opens his mouth for Terry to slip the gag between his lips and teeth. Terry chooses not to secure it quite as tight as he did before. It should still be tight enough to secure it in place, but not painful like last time. Just a little uncomfortable, perhaps.

"How's that feel, darling?" he asks, "Comfortable?"

Edd shakes his head. Of course he'd say that.

"Too bad."

Terry rises to his feet before helping Edd to his own. He sees the boy shivering. It _is_ surprisingly chilly this morning. Or maybe that's just the typical morning feeling? Either way, he can see the boy is cold. He hums thoughtfully.

"If you're a good boy in the bathroom," he begins carefully, "I'll give you something to wear."

Edd perks up a little, nodding his head in understanding. Pleased with this show of obedience, Terry leads him to the bathroom. As he leads the boy to the toilet, he doesn't worry about locking the door this time; he knows he doesn't need to. It takes a minute, as Edd's still very shy about urinating in front of him, but he manages to push himself through it — clearly with an understanding that he might not get another opportunity for a while.

When he's done, Terry lets him wash his cuffed hands in the sink. After a moment, Edd looks up from rinsing the suds away. He starts pointing to something on the sink, which Terry finds to be his toothbrush. He scoffs.

"I get it, my breath smells like shit," he sneers, "I was gonna get to it after a shower."

Edd shakes his head and alternates between pointing at the toothbrush and pointing at himself. _Oh._

"Not yet," Terry grumbles, pulling Edd away from the sink, "There's some things I need to take care of first. You can brush your teeth once that's done."

He returns Edd to the bedroom and removes the ball gag after securing the door.

"Alright, back into bed," Terry orders, nodding to the bed.

Edd's shoulders fall and he hesitates a moment, but eventually, he obeys the command, crawling into bed.

"Good boy," Terry purrs. A thought occurs to him suddenly. "Oh yeah. I said you could have somethin' to wear…"

With that, he turns to his dresser and roots around in one of the drawers before retrieving one of his jerseys. _That'll do…_ Turning back to Edd, he sets the shirt down on the bed beside him before retrieving the key for the handcuffs from the bedside table. _Gotta remember to take that with me…_ After unlocking Edd's hands, Terry hands him the shirt.

"There ya go, Princess," he coos, kissing Edd's cheek.

Edd gives him a mean look, rubbing his cheek as though offended. However, he pulls the shirt on over his quivering body. Terry bites his lip. Of course, his double-XL shirt is way too big for Edd, making it look like the boy's wearing a dress instead. _Like a little Princess…_ He fights the urge to push him back on the bed to fuck him again. Goddammit. Not yet. He's got shit to do! Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, he places the handcuff key and bedroom key in the pocket of his robe before turning to leave.

"I'll be back…" he grumbles, exiting the room and locking it behind him.

Before returning to the bathroom, he swings by the kitchen and roots around in his junk drawer until he finds his measuring tape and a pen and small pad of paper. The more he can do without stopping back at the bedroom, the better. Then, it's back to the bathroom, where he makes a beeline for the sink to brush his teeth. He stops, however, and instead begins by spending a few minutes taking measurements of the walls around the bathroom and writing them down. It doesn't take too long, and, after dropping the measuring tools back off in the kitchen, he's able to return to the task at hand.

As he furiously brushes his teeth, he finds that he's still got the image in mind of his little Princess in his over-sized shirt, looking more like the cute little girl he liked to compare him to. Fuck, he's getting hard just _thinking_ about those subtle curves that the fabric falls upon, the way the boy's little shoulders nearly slip through the neck of the shirt, the way the fabric stops just short of those sexy little thighs…His knuckles are turning white as he grips the sink in his hand. Fuck, fuck, fuck! He rinses before jumping into the shower, cranking the tap to frigid cold. Every now and then, he spits out the lingering fluoride taste, but otherwise, he doesn't dally.

Finishing the shower quickly, he dries off haphazardly before wrapping a towel around his waist. He grabs his robe and throws it on before leaving the bathroom and returning to the bedroom. Upon entering, he finds Edd curled up on the bed again, nuzzled in the sheets in an effort to make himself comfortable. _Fuuuuuuck_ …He wants to take that comfort away!

But he doesn't. Instead, he focuses on dressing himself. More time for that later. When he's dressed, he returns to Edd's side and leans over him, making the boy shrink in on himself and try to escape into the sheets. Terry grabs his arm, holding him still.

"Now," he breathes, leaning in close, "You stay in bed like a good little boy and I'll make you feel _real_ good when I get home."

Edd struggles to pull his arm away, but gives a reluctant nod in understanding. Pleased, Terry leans in further to kiss him, slipping his tongue past Edd's lips and teeth. He gets a pitiful whine in response as Edd pushes against the man's shoulders. However, he gives in much easier than before, letting his hands fall to the bed. _Mm…good. My Princess is finally coming around._ He pulls away after a moment to gaze down at that soft, pretty face. Edd stares right back, but there's no affection in those eyes — no reluctant conceit of a desire that Terry anticipated. Instead, he just looks tired, pained. _Dammit…_ He's not 'coming around'. He just can't fight back anymore. Sneering, Terry stands up straight again.

 _It's a start, I guess…_

He turns away and heads for the door, stopping to retrieve his keys from his robe. As he reaches the door and opens it up, he takes one last lingering look at the boy on his bed. Edd has pulled the sheets over himself again and is curling up amidst the covers to try to sleep again or maybe to cry some more. That intense urge returns. The urge to slam the door shut and pounce upon the boy again. The urge to ravage his body again and again until they're both too tired to move an inch.

Gritting his teeth, however, he pushes himself out the door and locks up. He's already wasted too much time. He's gotta get to the hardware store and get back before noon! After a few deep, calming breaths, he storms to the kitchen to grab his measurements and his wallet before exiting the trailer. He sneaks around to the unguarded entrance and slips out to reach his van.

The drive to the store is smooth, though as he nears the place, traffic _does_ get a little thicker. Morning commutes and all that. The store seems to just be opening up by the time he arrives and it's easy enough to flag down an employee. He looks dead on his feet, but that's not important. He still manages to greet Terry with a smile, albeit a very weary one.

"Good morning!" he begins in a grating, chipper tone, "How may I help you today?"

"I gotta soundproof my bathroom," Terry replies as withdraws the list of measurements from his pocket.

That seems to confuse the guy a little. He blinks once, twice, before shaking his head.

"Ah…I'm sorry," he laughs anxiously, "Y-You want to soundproof…"

"My bathroom, yeah," Terry insists, "I got a house guest who's loud as fuck in there and I wanna fix that."

"Oh!" Understanding flashes over the tired kid's face before concern settles again, "Hmm…I'm not sure what all you'll need. Hold on a moment, will you? Let me ask around."

Terry rolls his eyes as the employee runs off. While he waits, he inspects the different home improvement gadgets. Nothing he's interested in actually doing anything with, of course, but it looks pretty nice…

The employee returns moments later with another, older man in the same uniform and apron. He looks much more awake and has an air of superiority to him. The managerial name tag reveals the reason for that.

"Good morning sir!" he greets enthusiastically, "I hear you're trying to soundproof your bathroom?"

"Yeah," Terry grumbles back, already sick of the charade, "You know what I need for that?"

"Absolutely!" he retorts. Terry vaguely notices the other employee walking away, fucking off to do god knows what while his manager does the dirty work. "It's not _that_ different from soundproofing a typical room, but there are a few important things to consider. With all that water, foam is likely to be damaged, carpeting might get moldy, and if you want the _most_ effective form of soundproofing, it would require you to open up the drywall to install insulation."

"Well, I sure as shit ain't goin' _that_ far…" Terry retorts, "I don't got time to do any installin'…"

The manager looks a bit perturbed by his language, but recovers quickly; "Ah…very well, in that case, you'll just want to use some sound-muffling techniques. Does your bathroom have a tiled floor?"

"No," Terry replies, "I got carpeting in there, but it's pretty damn thin."

"Hmm," the manager pauses, whether that's to think about his response or to suppress his disgust again regarding Terry's cursing, "In that case, I'd recommend a few rugs to place over the floor. That should absorb some of the sound."

"Kay," Terry shifts a bit, rubbing his forehead, "you also said somethin' about foam. I got that in my bedroom too. _Can_ I put it up in the bathroom?"

"Absolutely," the manager replies, "Again, the only concern is that the steam and water that might get on the foam may cause some damage."

"What about Scotchgard®?"

"Hmm, that _is_ a water-repellent," the manager says with a nod, "I doubt it would hurt."

"Kay, anything else?"

"This will sound weird, but I would also recommend installing the foam on the ceiling."

"The ceiling?"

"Yes," the manager elaborates, "It's the same procedure as installing it on the walls — attaching it first to the plywood and then nailing it to the ceiling — and it really helps reduce the echo. Or you could instead carpet the ceiling if you'd prefer."

"Mm…yeah, I'll use the foam…" Terry shrugs, holding the paper towards him, "So, given these measurements, how much foam and shit am I gonna need…? And how much is this shit gonna run me?"

The manager winces a bit and sighs as he shifts on his feet. He looks over the measurements carefully, calculating it in his head. He then escorts Terry to the section with the foam and loads him up with the necessary amount. Like before, he's given them in bulk packs, which the manager touts to be at a special sale starting today! Yippee…

It's not nearly as insane a price as before, even with the wood that he'll be attaching the foam to and the can of Scotchgard®. Before checking out, though, he also grabs a padlock and latch. There's no set combination on it, so he'll be able to set it himself once he gets back. As the items are rung up, he feels a swell of sickness accost him. _Fuck…_ It's not _as_ much as before, but it's still quite a bit. This shit better work out. He'll have to work his ass off to make all this up and he can't be worrying about leaving Edd alone in that time.

When that's all taken care of, he loads his purchase into the van and takes off. He doesn't head straight home, though. Instead, he stops first at a fast food drive thru to pick up something to eat. This place serves breakfast before eleven a.m., and he's got _just_ enough time. He snags some mini pancakes with a half a dozen packets of syrup, an order of hash brown patties, and a couple of those egg sandwiches.

Finally, it's back home to the trailer. Like yesterday, he backs up his van to the door to easier unload all of his purchases. He sets them just inside the door and leaves the food on the table in the kitchen before taking the van out again to leave it outside of the park. Once he returns, he takes the foam, boards, repellent, and nail gun to the bathroom. After passing by the sink to wash his hands quick, he takes the food to the bedroom.

Unlocking the door, he slips inside to find his little Princess sitting upright on the bed, his arms around his middle. He looks up at the man, his brow furrowed. Terry grins his way as he locks them in again.

"Hungry?" he asks knowingly.

Edd nods, sitting up a little more.

"M-May I puh…p-please have something to eat?"

Terry chortles, stepping towards him; "Well, when you ask me so sweetly, how could I _possibly_ say no?"

Sitting on the bed, he sets the bags of food beside him and gestures Edd to come to him. Edd whimpers in response, curling in on himself.

"Come here, Princess," Terry commands a little more forcefully, "Come sit in my lap so I can feed you."

"P…Please…" Edd mumbles, "C-Can't I just…eat…?"

"No. Now, come here."

Sighing softly, Edd finally does as he's told, crawling over on the bed to settle uncomfortably in Terry's lap. The moment Terry's hands grace Edd's flesh, they latch on. He grabs Edd's chin and urges him to look at him. Edd squirms as the man leans in to kiss him again.

"W-Wait…" he begs, "I-I'm so hungry! P-Please allow me to eat first!"

"Oh, you'll get to eat," Terry chuckles, "But first I gotta feel those soft little lips against my own again."

And with that, he presses his lips to Edd's, earning a warbling groan in response as the boy writhes more and more against him. So soft…So perfect. Just moist enough. And they mesh so beautifully with his own. As much as he wants to, he doesn't linger. Just needed that little taste. He allows Edd to jerk away from him, but he refuses to let the boy leave his lap. Not yet.

"Alright, _Princess_ ," he scoffs, reaching for the bag, "Let's eat."

Edd sighs softly, his shoulders slumping a bit. His eyes slip closed as the scent of the food hits his nostrils and he licks his lips. Damn…Terry opens up the bag and Edd reaches towards it. The man's eyes narrow before he deftly smacks the boy's hand away. Hunching his shoulders, Edd holds his hand to his chest, his eyes wide as he turns to look at his captor. Terry wags his finger at him teasingly.

"Patience, Princess," he tuts.

With a pout, Edd bows his head, but he keeps his eyes locked on the bag. Terry then removes the food one by one. The small box of the mini pancakes and its included syrup packets, the hash brown patties in their paper wrappings, and the egg sandwiches in their own packages. Edd eyes them in intense desire, his brow furrowed as he raises a hand to bite his nail. He starts to reach for the goodies with his other hand, but a quick glance from Terry has him hesitating before pulling that hand back again. _He's learning._

"What would you like to start with, Princess?"

Edd grimaces at the title, but points at the box of pancakes. Terry hums at that before grabbing the boy's hand. He places a kiss to his knuckles, making the boy cringe.

"Good choice, beautiful," he breathes, "Allow me."

Letting go of Edd's hand, he reaches for one of the maple syrup packets and peels away the protective foil seal. Edd's eyes shift from the cakes to the syrup, licking his lips as his little stomach growls in demand. Terry shoots him a leering grin.

"It does look yummy, doesn't it…?" he purrs, setting the packet on the paper bag, "How about a taste first?"

He dips his finger into the syrup, giving it a nice coating. Turning his attention back to Edd, he holds that finger to the boy's lips.

"Go on, sweetheart, lick it all up and then you can dig in."

Edd shudders, pushing his hand away; "A-Absolutely _not!_ That's unsanitary!"

"If you want those pancakes, you'll do it," Terry threatens.

"Fine," Edd grumbles, "Then I won't have _those._ "

Terry grimaces at him, but decides to just go ahead and let that slide. Licking his finger clean, he sets the pancakes and syrup aside on the bedside table. _Might come back to those_.

"Alright, so what else?" he asks, his tone a bit more sharp.

Hunching his shoulders, Edd reaches for the hash browns. Of course, before he can grab one, Terry lifts them up and away.

"Nope."

"What?" Edd guffaws, "But…"

"Not till you do a lil somethin' for _me_ first," Terry explains with a smirk, "You wouldn't play along with the pancakes, but I'm not gonna put up with that shit for long."

Edd bows his head, biting his lip; "I-I'm just so hungry…C-Can't all that wait until…after?"

"No," Terry retorts, "I told you; you wanna eat? You do what I say."

Slouching in defeat, Edd averts his gaze, but says nothing more in protest. Terry thinks carefully about his next move. He'd hoped that starting small would get him the results he wanted, but perhaps going bigger would prove more fruitful — maybe make him more willing to oblige the smaller commands.

"Alright, Princess," Terry begins, rubbing Edd's hip with one hand, "If you want a bite of these, then you're gonna put on a little show for me. I wanna watch you masturbate."

Edd's face goes beet red and he reaches instinctively for the hat that isn't there. Instead, he pulls the shirt up slightly to cover his burning face.

"Th-That's _abhorrent!_ " he cries, shaking his head, "I refuse!"

"What did I _just_ say?" Terry sneers, "If you wanna eat, you're gonna do what I tell you."

"I _can't!_ " Edd insists, "Anything but that!"

"Fine," Terry shrugs, setting the hash browns aside. Before grabbing the eggs, he unzips his pants and frees his stiffening cock. "Then how 'bout you suck me off for some eggs?"

If he weren't holding onto Edd at the moment, the boy might've sprung from his lap. Edd squirms in his grip, though, trying to avoid any contact at all with the man's genitals.

"Stop it!" he pleads with a sob, "I'll do _none_ of those depraved actions. Just… _please!_ Let me _eat!_ "

"So you won't do _any_ of the things I've asked?" Terry asks, cocking his brow, "Not even if I offer to have you lick off the syrup again. That's not as bad, right?"

"Of _course_ it's just as bad!" Edd snaps, glaring up at him, "I refuse it all!"

The patient look Terry's been struggling to maintain falls in an instant as he glares at the boy, who starts quivering, his eyes growing wide. Gritting his teeth, he grabs the collar of the jersey he'd given Edd before ripping it off the boy's shivering torso. Edd tries desperately to cover himself, but is denied the opportunity as Terry grabs his wrists and chains them up again.

"No! No!" Edd sobs, kicking and thrashing, his voice cracking and painfully hoarse, "Please! I'm so _hungry!_ "

"Too _fuckin'_ bad!" Terry retorts with a snarl, "Maybe you shoulda thought about that before you told me 'no'!"

"You're deplorable!" Edd screams, writhing more fervently and pulling with all his might against the chains. "I don't know _why_ you're doing this to me, but I don't _care_ anymore! I detest you! I want to go _home!_ "

Edd continues his verbal tirade, thrashing like mad in his pitiful attempts to escape his bindings, but Terry hears none of it. The words that got through are making his blood boil and his vision tunnel. _Deplorable? Detest?_ Those are angry, hateful words — isn't 'hate' a definition of the latter? After all he's done…After all that time and energy he's put into finally bringing his little darling home. This is the thanks he gets? This is the thanks he gets for finally bringing them together after all this time? He can hear his own teeth grinding as he glares down at the boy.

Fine. Seems like being nice and gentle is getting him nowhere. Little Edd needs to be reminded of who's in charge. His eyes look manic as he lashes out, backhanding the child with one, sharp _smack!_ Edd's startled, but he desperately tries to keep fighting. So Terry hits him again. When he refuses to submit, he hits him again. And again. And again. When Edd lies still, sobbing pathetically, Terry finally relinquishes his assault. He mumbles under his breath and through his sobs. Horrible, ugly things like how much he hates Terry and how he wants to go home. With a growl, Terry grabs the ball gag.

"I ain't listenin' to another one of those _filthy lies!_ " he roars, roughly shoving the gag into the boy's mouth. He secures it tightly around Edd's head, eliminating the possibility that the boy might manage to spit it back out. "The only words I wanna hear outta you is an apology! Till you're ready to give me one, you ain't gonna talk _ever_ again!"

With that, he straightens up, but he doesn't leave Edd's side. Instead, he straddles the boy's chest while stroking his cock. He's still hard from before and _I'll be damned if I'm gonna let this little bitch leave me with fuckin' blue balls…_ Edd shakes his head, begging him with his eyes.

"Oh, don't you worry, _Princess_ ," Terry spits, "I ain't gonna fuck you again. Not right now. You don't fuckin' deserve it."

Instead, he strokes himself, gazing down at the boy in desire. As upset as he is, as deep as those words cut him, he can't deny how fuckin' beautiful his little Princess looks like this. All tied up like a present, quivering and gagged. Fuckin' perfection…He leans over him, stroking his cock faster. He grazes the boy's naval with the head of his penis, spreading pre-cum in a trail from his belly button up. He hears Edd whine and feels him writhe beneath him. _It's working…_ He regrets gagging him for a moment. Damn if he doesn't want to kiss those pretty, pink lips. Damn if he doesn't want those lips around his cock. But with how rebellious Edd's been acting, he must admit this is the better alternative. It's of no consequence, anyway, he's almost there. Just looking at this gorgeous little prize before him, sobbing and screaming in his bindings, is more effective than any other stimulation he could acquire.

When he orgasms, he makes sure to do so over the boy's exposed torso. His cum hits Edd's stomach, leaving little splattered pearls near his belly button. Edd gags and screams, but his squirming lessens. As the tingling in Terry's extremities begins to fade, he notices this, assuming that he's trying not to move or spread the liquid around. With a smirk, he does it for him, rubbing the head of his cock over the heaving flesh and wiping away the remnants of his climax. Edd shrieks behind the gag, whipping his head back and forth in outcry. It sends a guttural laugh through the man. Yup. Seems like the perfect punishment.

Leaning over Edd, he grabs his jaw and forces the boy to hold still.

"Once you apologize," he begins carefully, "I'll let you wash up. And _maybe_ I'll give you somethin' to eat."

With that, he adjusts himself, slipping his softening cock back into his pants and zipping them back up. Moving away from the bed, he grabs the food and packs everything back into the bag. To further Edd's torment, though, he takes the open packet of syrup and pours its contents onto the small chest. The horrified whine he receives makes him cackle in delight. After shooting the boy one more cold, sadistic grin, he takes the food away, leaving Edd with the tantalizing scent of the syrup as he exits the room again and locks him in.


	10. Ch 9 - Bring to Edd

After polishing off the fast food breakfast, it's straight to the bathroom. For the rest of the day, Terry works tirelessly on installing the soundproofing panels. With each nail that he drives into the walls, he releases a little more of the rage that had built up this morning. Hate? His little Princess _hates_ him? Gritting his teeth against those ugly words, he brings the hammer down violently on another nail. All that time, goddammit…All that time he'd wasted dreaming of finally getting his hands on his little prize. All those heavenly fantasies that plagued his mind. All a waste. He drives another nail into the wall in one stroke.

It hurt. Fuck, it hurt him like nothing else before. This isn't how this was supposed to play out. He was supposed to rescue his little darling from his neglectful, abusive home and Edd was to give him his little heart in gratitude so that they may live happily ever after. That's how it worked. Rescue the damsel, the damsel falls in love: happily ever after. Edd should've been eternally grateful to him — throwing himself at him to express his gratitude for saving him from his sad, lonely little life.

But no. Instead, he'd been stubborn. Eddy never gave such an impression of Edd in his letters. If he was ever stubborn, it was to excel in his studies. Not to defy authority. And yet, here Terry finds himself with a stubborn, defiant little brat who refuses to do even the most innocent of his demands. Another nail is pounded into the panel. It takes two strokes this time.

It's frustrating, to be sure. There _are_ ways to fix this behavior — to make Edd do what he wants and do so willingly — but it'll take time. Time he may or may not have. Or, more accurately, time he may or may not be interested in putting towards this little project. He pauses in his hammering to think. There's a library pretty close in town. He could probably pick up a book on training pets or something. It'd be a similar process that he needs, after all. Yeah…that might work.

Finally, the walls are done. He then moves on to the ceiling. This goes a little faster, thank god. The nail gun is a real help. If he weren't so desperate to physically strike something, he might've used it for the walls too. _Oh well…_ When he's done, he cleans up the tools and leaves them in the hall. Before returning to the bathroom, he grabs his stereo and sets it on the closed toilet seat. He turns it on and tunes it to a channel that plays exclusively loud, screaming music. He then turns it up as loud as it can go before exiting the bathroom and shutting it up. The screaming music is muffled significantly. Hell, if he weren't listening for it, he may not have noticed it.

Humming thoughtfully, he slips out of the trailer, leaving the 'music' on. The park is abuzz with the sounds of patrons excitedly running around and enjoying the rides. He certainly can't hear the stereo out here. He walks around to the part of the trailer where the bathroom would be on the other side and listens closely. Now he can hear the music, though it's still very faint. He never put any rugs down. If anything, that might be a factor that is allowing the sound to slip out. When he heads to the library, he'll stop at one of those home decorating shops and pick some up.

With this mission in mind, he reenters the trailer to turn the music off. He takes a glances at the bedroom. He wants to go back in. See if Edd's ready to apologize. But no. He has to let him stew for a little while longer. Maybe after he gets back from this last little errand. Grabbing his keys, he leaves the trailer again and locks up. This won't take long.

He hits up the library first. Their hours are a little more restricted and he doesn't feel like rushing right now. The staff is very helpful. The excuse he offers is that he's got a new dog who needs to be trained, which provides him with a plethora of available books on how to properly train a disobedient pet. He decides to get a couple of the more promising ones. He has to sign up for a bullshit library card, he's reluctant to admit, but it's a necessary evil.

With the books in hand, he takes off to the local carpet store. The staff is much less helpful here. They're groggy and unpleasant and their tempers are short. Fuck, if he weren't so damn busy he might offer to buy one of 'em a drink. They're fuckin' hilarious. He manages to find a nice, fluffy rug that should be resistant to water damage and should absorb plenty of sound. He gets a couple of those. One long one to put along the floor between the tub and the sink, and one to put in front of and around the toilet. Thank fuck, they're not too expensive. That's another thing, goddammit. He's spent so much fucking money on this kid for Edd to be so stubborn with him! This shit better _fuckin'_ work…

Back to the park, he doesn't bother stopping the van at his trailer first. His purchases and books aren't nearly as cumbersome to haul to the trailer. But maybe he should have…

" _Hey, asshole!_ "

Fucking dammit. He knows that voice — that was directed at _him_ , wasn't it? He stops and turns to the source of the yell to find one of his coworkers approaching him. Of course; Dave _would_ be the one to spot him first. Fucker tries to do even less than _he_ does on a day-to-day basis.

"Where ya been, man?" he asks, walking up to Terry with one hand in the pocket of his grungy jeans and while the other holds a cigarette, "Thought maybe you died."

"No such luck," Terry grumbles back, "Had to head back home for a bit."

"Ah, Mike know yer back?"

"No, and I wanna keep it that way," Terry shifts the items in his hands, "I still got shit to do and I ain't back on the schedule till Sunday."

"Alright, alright," Dave laughs, throwing his hands up defensively, "The fuck you doing, anyway? Redecorating?"

"Somethin' like that…"

"Why bother?" Dave scoffs, "I seen that shithole you squat in. What the fuck you doin' tryin' to make that place livable? Just get a new trailer or somethin'."

"Alright, first of all; fuck you," Terry sneers, flipping him the bird, "Second; fuck off. I told you, I got shit to do."

"Fine," Dave backs up a bit before turning to walk away as Terry heads back to his trailer, "See ya Sunday, I guess…"

Rolling his eyes, Terry chooses not to answer that. He'll deal with that annoying prick on his next shift. Instead, he focuses on returning to the trailer. Leaving the books on the table, he takes the rugs to the bathroom. After setting them out, he does his sound test, cranking the volume on the stereo to 11 and closing the room up behind him as he leaves. This time, the sound is muffled even more. In here, he can't hear much of the music at all. He heads outside to be sure. Still nothing. Over at the wall where the bathroom is on the other side. Still muffled, but much more significantly than before. Good enough.

Heading back inside, he shuts off the stereo again and grabs the padlock and latch. He then spends the next few minutes installing it on outside of the bathroom door. When the latch is secured, he sets up the combination. He thinks for a moment about what it should be. Something meaningful. He settles finally on the numbers and carefully inputs them. 5 right, 14 left, 20 right. He smirks, pleased with this, and tests the combination to make sure it works. The lock clicks open again, signifying that he'd successfully set the combination.

Hanging the lock on the latch, he decides it's about time to finally check back in with Edd. It's been hours since he left the little Princess all alone and messy. It must be driving him crazy. Unlocking the door, he slips inside. Right where he left him. Edd's motionless on the bed, though his little chest is heaving with labored breathing. The sheets are wet beneath his head, indicating that he's been crying a helluva lot. When Terry shuts the door behind him, Edd lifts his head slightly to look at him. He cringes a bit and lies his head back again. His little legs pull together in a feeble attempt to cover his genitals. _You'd think he'd learn by now that that don't work…_

He approaches the bed and sets his keys down on the bedside table. As he does, he can feel those pretty eyes on him, begging. Little whimpers are muffled by the ball gag. _Damn, that must be painful by now…_ Finally, he turns to Edd. The sight, he must admit, is damn pretty. Those eyes he loved so damn much are red and puffy from all his crying and his nose has been running. The syrup has clearly been drying, but is shimmering and a quick dab of his finger proves it to still be sticky on his chest and stomach. Terry licks his lips as he notices that the semen has dried as well. _That must be hella uncomfortable…_ Leaning over Edd, he gets as close as he can.

"You want a bath, beautiful?" he purrs, grinning wickedly.

Edd nods desperately, pulling on his chains as he tries to sit up. Terry chuckles and stands straight again to remove the bindings. When his wrists are free, Edd rubs his sore shoulders and reaches for the straps of the ball gag. Grimacing, Terry smacks his hands away.

"Not yet." Staring up at the man in disbelief, Edd's shoulders fall. "I'll take it off, Princess. Just not yet. Now c'mon."

Bowing his head, Edd sits up, allowing Terry to help him to his feet. His stomach gives a loud, angry growl and he slaps his arm around his tiny waist. His body crumples in on itself and more tears fall down his cheeks. As he watches Edd double over in pain, Terry feels a small pang of regret. He'll have to give him something to eat. Not much, of course — Edd still needs to be punished for denying him — but if he's in that much pain from hunger, he may not be able to do all the shit Terry wants him to. Can't have that. Grabbing Edd's chin, he forces the boy to look up at him

"Do what I say," he commands, "and be nice and quiet in the bathroom, and I'll let you eat."

Edd's eyes go wide and he nods furiously. Satisfied, Terry escorts him from the bedroom and to the bathroom, grabbing his robe as they walk out. As they near the bathroom, Edd looks surprised by the lock, but Terry chooses not to explain it right now. That confusion grows as they enter the bathroom. Edd stares in awe at the foam, distracted for a moment. He seems to like the fluffy rug beneath his feet, though. Once Terry closes the door behind him and locks it, he finally removes the gag. Edd cradles his jaw, sighing in relief. Terry regards him with disgust as he throws the gag into the sink.

"You got somethin' you wanna say, _Princess?_ " Terry snarls.

Edd turns to him, his brow furrowed.

"I…I'm s-s-sorry…" he murmurs, his voice hoarse and nearly inaudible.

"Sorry for _what?_ "

Edd flinches; "I-I…u-uhh…" He bites his lip, his eyes searching the floor for an answer.

Terry grits his teeth; "For all those lies you threw at me earlier? For not doing what I told you?"

Glancing up at him, wide-eyed, Edd still looks uncertain, but he finally nods; "Y…Y-Yes…I-I'm…s…s-sorry for…f-for what I said and…a-a-and for not d-doing what you asked…"

"You gonna start doin' what I want now?" Terry asks, the threat evident in his voice, "Or are you gonna keep fuckin' denying me?"

Edd bows his head ashamedly; "N…No…I-I'll do what you ask…"

"Good," he looks the boy up and down with a grimace, "Wipe your face."

Nodding timidly, Edd turns away to take some of the toilet paper so he can clean the mucus and tears that had gathered on his cheeks and under his nose. Terry moves to the tub and twists the taps to make the water flow. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots Edd shivering, though his gaze suggests that he's just excited for the bath. Terry stands straight again and slips off his plaid shirt. Edd tenses up.

"Wh…What are you…?"

"With how disobedient you been actin'," Terry explains as he removes his jersey, "I'm gonna have to keep a close eye on you in the shower."

"Y…You don't h-have to…"

Terry turns his head to glare at the boy; "Don't have to _what?_ "

Another frightened flinch; "N-Nothing…"

"Good."

He sees Edd bow his head again, wringing his hands together. He hasn't tried screaming yet. Hard to tell why. He was looking at the foam earlier. Must've recognized it from the bedroom. Does he know that it cancels out his screaming? Does he know that no one can hear him in here? Oh well. Doesn't matter. He's being quiet. As Terry removes his pants, Edd backs up into a corner, quivering. Once the last of his clothing is discarded and the water is to his liking, Terry motions for Edd.

"Get over here," he orders sharply.

Edd takes a deep, shaking breath before following the command. Terry grabs his arm and ushers him into the tub. When he steps in with the boy, he switches the running water from the faucet to the shower head. Edd shivers a bit as the water hits his back. _A little cold_ , Terry notes as he leans over to adjust the temperature. He notices Edd picking up the bar of soap. Cocking his brow, Terry grabs the boy's wrist and takes the soap from him.

"You let _me_ do that," he commands softly, grazing Edd's chin with his thumb.

Edd winces a little in response, but nods. Keeping one hand around Edd's wrist, Terry starts scrubbing away the mess on Edd's chest. His fingertips brush against the soft, slick flesh. Edd squirms a little, clearly still uncomfortable being touched. Terry's eyes travel over the slender form before him. Over the steep hills of his shoulders to the gentle slopes near his waist. All smooth as silk, with only a handful of bruises blemishing that lovely skin. Even after finally scrubbing away all of the dried fluids, Terry continues moving the soap over the small chest. His eyelids droop as he feels his cock stiffening.

Good a time as any to enjoy his fantasy for real…

Setting the soap aside, he pulls Edd closer to him, cupping his jaw in his soapy hand. Eyes wide, Edd slaps his hands onto the man's chest and wrist, reflexively trying to keep him at bay.

"Open your mouth," Terry orders.

Tears gather in the corners of Edd's eyes as he shakes his head fearfully.

"N-No…" he weeps, "P-Please…Not h-here…"

Terry's tone gets more stern; "Open your mouth."

Cringing, Edd gulps before slowly opening his mouth, per request. Licking his lips, Terry leans down to slip his tongue past Edd's lips, teasing the gums within the gap in the boy's teeth. So good…Steam envelops his body as the water splashes against his face and the top of his head. Edd's mouth tastes of morning, with a slight undertone of peanut butter, but not much else. He hasn't eaten much of anything past that sandwich in roughly twenty-four hours, after all. Still, it's heavenly. Because it's Edd. It's Edd being obedient to him. No longer fighting back or pulling away. He's doing what he wants. Just how it should be.

But of course…that's really not enough, now is it? Releasing the boy's arm, he slides his hands down his hips, pulling Edd's body closer to him. Edd struggles a little against that as Terry's erection presses painfully against his middle. Terry's eyes open slowly as he pulls away from the kiss to whisper into Edd's ear.

"Put your little arms around me, sweetheart," he hisses, nipping at the earlobe, "And hold on tight."

Edd looks uncertain, gazing up at him uneasily. His hands shake as he raises them slowly. Finally, he locks them around Terry's broad shoulders and thick neck, looking ashamed. With a grin, Terry rewards him with a kiss to the cheek.

"Good boy."

He hooks his hands under Edd's thighs and manages to hoist him up. Edd's grip suddenly tightens in response as Terry turns them to press Edd's back against the wall behind them. He feels Edd shiver in his grasp as Terry peppers tender kisses to the slender neck. That gets a very different response. Edd's nails dig into Terry's neck and shoulders, making the man grunt a bit. He shoots Edd a glare.

"Careful with those claws, kitten," he growls, adjusting Edd's legs around his waist, "And hold still."

"P-Please…" Edd mumbles, giving him that precious puppy-dog look, "N-Not again…I-I can't…I can't take it…"

"That's a shame," Terry coos, "Cuz I ain't givin' you a fuckin choice."

Whimpering, Edd bows his head, burying his face in the man's neck. Terry goes back to work on Edd's neck and shoulders, nipping and sucking purplish-red blemishes into his skin. The bite he gave him has become an angry bruise, which he teases with his tongue. It draws the sweetest little noises from his captive. A wicked grin tugs at his lips as he feels Edd's little cock stiffening between them. _Now_ _ **that's**_ _a good response…_ Fuck! Moaning softly into Edd's neck, he reaches for the bottle of lube. Gotta take advantage of this arousal. When his fingers meet air, though, he's reminded that he didn't actually grab the bottle before bringing Edd to the bathroom.

"Fuck!" he hisses.

There's no way on God's green earth he can fuck this kid without real lubricant — the shampoo or other liquids around the tub ain't gonna cut it. Physically, it's just not possible. Looks like little Edd gets his wish. Although…His fantasy flickers back into his mind, drawing that grin back to his face as he turns to Edd.

"Okay, sweetheart," he breathes, kissing his cheek, "I won't fuck you again. Not yet. Not here."

Edd heaves a heavy sigh of relief, his body going lax. See how long _that_ lasts…

"But," Yup! There's the cringe. "You _are_ gonna do somethin' special for me."

Those pretty green eyes gaze up at him in fear; "Wh…What is it…?"

Carefully, Terry eases Edd back down to his feet.

"Get on your knees," he orders.

Edd's startled, but seems to come to the conclusion that there's nothing wrong with this request yet and slowly kneels down. He sits back on his legs, trying to get more comfortable. That won't last long either. His face burns a deep red as Terry reaches down to stroke his cock.

"Open wide, Princess," he purrs, "You're gonna suck me off."

As expected, Edd buries his face in his hands, squealing in a mix of horror and disgust.

"N-No!" he sobs, "P-Please!"

"It aint gonna suck itself, sweetheart," Terry shrugs, "Now I suggest you get to it. Open your mouth."

Edd shakes his head, crying softly. Gritting his teeth, Terry grabs the top of Edd's head, digging his fingers into the sopping, wet hair. He yanks Edd's head back and forces the boy to look at him again.

"I said open your mouth!" he snarls.

"Please no!" Edd begs, his body shaking with his sobs, "D-Don't make me d-d-do that!"

With a soft growl through his clenched teeth, Terry pulls Edd's face towards his pelvis. Edd shrieks, pushing against the man's thighs and flinching as the hot, sheer skin of Terry's cock touches his face.

"Do you wanna eat?!"

That gets the kid to hold still. Edd turns his head to gaze up at him, mortified.

"You don't suck me off," Terry grumbles, "you don't eat."

Edd's lip quivers as he bows his head again. With a disgusted cringe, he slowly opens his mouth.

"Wider."

That's met with another strangled sob before Edd obeys, his eyes shut tight as he opens his mouth as wide as he can. Terry's breathing becomes slightly ragged as he carefully slips his cock past Edd's lips. The boy wretches as the rigid flesh makes contact with his tongue, so Terry pulls Edd forward to prevent him from jerking away. Edd gags, pushing against Terry's legs in protest. But those little hands don't resonate in the slightest as Terry's eyes flutter closed in pleasure. _Ffffffuuuuuck!_ This is better than he ever imagined…He groans, trying his damnedest not to thrust into that perfect, wet heat. His hand slips from gripping Edd's hair to lazily pressing against the back of his head. Edd's tongue pushes absentmindedly against his shaft, and the boy gags again and again.

With long moans, he begins slowly rocking his hips back and forth. As Terry forces his eyes open, he notices that Edd's body has started jerking in revulsion as he tries even harder to push Terry away. Rolling his eyes, he shoots the boy a glare.

"Breathe through your nose," he scoffs.

In response to that, he can feel the puffs of air come out of Edd's nostrils, but it doesn't stop him from trying to pull away.

"You want this to stop?" Terry asked, cocking his brow.

Edd nods, giving a few affirmative grunts as well.

"Well," Terry laughs a little, "the faster you get me off, the faster this stops."

Not the answer he was looking for it seems. Edd's shoulders fall and his eyes reflect his distaste with the situation. Too bad…

"Now, use your tongue, Princess," Terry breathes, his hips rocking lethargically back and forth.

Clearly desperate, Edd does his best to comply. His face is wet from the shower, but Terry can still see the tears slipping past the corners of his eyes. Damn is that sexy. His eyes drift down to Edd's neglected cock, finding him to be flaccid again. He smirks, licking his lips.

"C'mon, sweetheart," he purrs, pulling Edd's attention back to him, "Don't let _me_ have all the fun. Why don't you do yourself a favor and get _yourself_ off too?"

If Edd's face weren't already a bright red, he's sure that would've got him blushing. He shuts his eyes, choosing not to respond to that. Terry grits his teeth.

"Do it," he orders sharply, "I wanna see you do it."

Edd responds with more sobbing, but shakily follows the command. His hand clumsily fumbles with his cock, showing his inexperience as he tries to replicate what Terry had done to him before. He doesn't open his eyes again — too embarrassed, it seems. _Too bad._ The sight is fuckin' perfect. His little Princess on his knees. One hand resting on his captor's thigh to steady himself and the other around his dick while his mouth is filled with Terry's much larger cock. The sight alone makes the man weak in the knees.

The water pounding against the numbed flesh of his back is growing cold as Terry nears his release. He can't say much for Edd's progress, but his own finish line is in sight. With that in mind, he puts both hands on the back of Edd's head. The rocking of his hips gets faster and harder, making the boy gag in surprise. He glares down at the boy.

"You better swallow, Princess," he warns, "If you don't, you get nothin' to eat."

Edd whimpers, but gives a reluctant, but still affirmative grunt. Terry's eyes close again as he allows his orgasm to take him. He moans his favorite pet name for Edd, but refuses to use his real name. That was rule number one in those books he borrowed: use the name you want them to _answer to._ It was one of the few things he'd read before making the decision to borrow them. Edd would answer to him as his Princess. Nothing more.

He hears Edd grunt and groan in disgust as the semen sprays upon his tongue and near his throat, and he wretches. However, in spite of his repulsion, he manages to swallow the substance. As Terry watches him, though, the man wonders if he'd be so willing to comply to such a request after he's fed.

As Terry comes down from his high, he carefully removes his cock from Edd's mouth. Edd heaves in his disgust and tries to prevent himself from vomiting by covering his mouth. He curls forward, pressing his forehead to the water-laden floor of the tub. Terry watches him carefully as he sobs. Glancing back at the taps, he turns the water off and then turns back to Edd.

"So," he begins with a purr, "What do you wanna eat, Princess?"


	11. Ch 10 - Bro a Fuse

Once they're dried off, Terry allows Edd to brush his teeth. He hadn't thought to buy a new toothbrush specifically for Edd, leaving the boy with no choice but to use Terry's for now. It makes him gag and groan, of course, but he's clearly too desperate to scrub the taste out of his mouth to care about that. Terry takes the opportunity to wash the dried spit off of the ball gag as well to prepare it for its next use. When Edd spits out the fluoride and saliva that had gathered while he brushed, Terry grabs his arm. He struggles at first, trying to wrench his arm away again.

"Hold still!" Terry growls.

Edd eyes the gag with a whimper.

"P-Please," he begs softly, as he cradles his jaw, "N-Not again. M-My jaw h-hurts so badly…"

"I don't care," Terry retorts, glaring down at him, "Open your mouth."

"I-I don't _want_ to!" Edd insists.

"Oh yeah? I guess you don't wanna _eat_ either, huh?" Terry asks, cocking his brow, "Guess you just wanna stay in here instead? Well, that's fine. I ain't got nothin' better to do, so we can stay in here as long you want. And you can just fuckin' blow me all damn day and night. S'that what you want, _Princess?_ "

"P-Please!" Edd sobs, rubbing at the tears escaping his eyes, "I-I'm so hungry. P-Please let me eat."

"Then open your mouth," Terry orders, "The longer you put it off, the longer you go without food."

Still sobbing, Edd finally relents, slowly opening his mouth again. Terry slips the gag into his mouth and locks it into place. As he pulls away, he places a kiss against the boy's forehead as a reward. Grabbing the tiny wrist, he ushers the boy from the bathroom and back to the bedroom. There, he takes the gag off and locks the door.

"Bed."

Edd cringes, backing away; "I-I thought you said…"

"I'll get you food, Princess," Terry retorts, "But first you're gonna get your cute little ass back into bed."

A quick glance at the bed before Edd looks up at Terry again; "M-May I have something t-to wear?"

"No." Edd gives him a pout. "Don't gimme that look, _Princess._ You've been very naughty lately. Until you learn to behave yourself, you're gonna stay naked."

That cute little pout starts to turn into a glare until a loud, impatient growl emits from his middle. He whines, slapping his arms over his stomach and doubling over. With another sob, he hobbles over to the bed. Amazing what hunger does to an unwilling body…After climbing up onto the mattress, Edd curls up, holding his stomach and whimpering. Terry approaches the bed and leans over him, drawing Edd's attention back to him. He gazes up at the man, tears in those pretty eyes.

"I…I want to go _home…_ " he whimpers, "Wh-Why are you doing this to me…? Wh-What did I do to make you want to t-torture me like this…?"

"I don't _want_ to keep doing this, _Princess,_ " Terry breathes, glaring down at him, "I don't _like_ doing this to you. But you're giving me no choice. Do what I tell you — _stop fighting me_ — and you'll find that I'm _much_ more reasonable."

"D-Do you hate me?" Edd asks, his brow furrowed, "Is that why you're doing this? Wh-What did I _do_ to you? Wh- _Why_ would you hate me?!"

Terry's fingers twitch, itching to wrap around the boy's throat for daring to utter such horrible accusations. But he manages to fight against that urge. His actions _have_ been rather harsh. To a certain degree, he can understand Edd's confusion. What he's done _could_ be misconstrued as hatred…Taking a deep breath, he ghosts his fingers over Edd's cheek, his look hard and focused entirely on him.

"I didn't bring you here outta hate, Princess," he replies finally, "You're very important to me. But if you keep misbehaving, you leave me no choice but to punish you." He can feel Edd shivering. "Do what I say, and I won't have to do that any more."

With tears shimmering in his eyes, Edd bows his head, giving what Terry interprets to be a sign of surrender. _Finally; progress._ Satisfied, Terry rises to stand straight and turns away.

"I'll bring you somethin' to eat," he states as he approaches the door, grabbing his robe from the end of the bed.

Nothing else needs to be said after that. He doesn't need to give Edd any more orders. He's so desperate for food that he won't be making any decisions that might postpone his meal any longer. As he exits the room, however, he _does_ still lock the door behind him. Can't give him _too_ much freedom.

Pulling on his robe, he returns to the kitchen, a simple plan in mind. He's not giving Edd much at all. Gotta give him just enough that he'll be receptive to his desires, but not enough to make him comfortable fighting back. Another PB&J sandwich is the best option. Not so much that he'll feel full and content, but just enough that he's no longer in pain.

He works quietly, glancing outside once or twice. The sun has only just begun setting, casting a warm, golden glow over the park. He can't make out the artificial light that would have surely come on by now, but he knows they're there. Seems like Dave decided to mind his own business. Or maybe Mike just isn't interested in dealing with him till his next shift? Either way, he's not being bothered right now and that's all he cares about.

Once he's got a couple of sandwiches prepared, he grabs a bottle of water as well and returns to the bedroom. He's damn tired from working on the bathroom all damn day, he realizes with a yawn. After he feeds the little Princess, he imagines he'll want to just get some sleep. They can fuck again in the morning or something. As he walks into the room and kicks the door shut behind him, Edd perks up. He eyes the plate of sandwiches with unwavering desire. So focused is he on the food that he doesn't seem to notice the man locking the door behind him.

As Terry returns to the bed and sits down, Edd scoots over to his side, trying to resist the urge to snatch up one of the sandwiches. Clearly, he knows better than to act without Terry giving him instructions. Best to take advantage of this newfound obedience. Holding the food away, he motions for Edd to come to him.

"You know the drill, Princess," he commands softly.

Edd hunches his shoulders, but his hesitation doesn't last nearly as long as it would have before. He crawls forward and settles himself down into Terry's lap. As expected, he looks mortified by his behavior, but that certainly won't last long. _He'll start to like it soon enough._ Terry holds the plate towards Edd as a reward, kissing his temple.

"See?" he coos, "I told ya I'd be more reasonable…"

Edd bows his head, having no answer for that as he hides his blushing face. Terry hands him the water.

"How 'boutcha drink up first, though?"

No argument there, it seems, as Edd gratefully receives the bottle. He does indeed start with a long drink of the water, managing to down about half of the beverage. _Gotta try to keep that in mind…_ Terry thinks with a grimace. He'd forgotten in all of the commotion that he's gotta make sure Edd's _hydrated_ as well as fed. Once his thirst is sated, Edd shyly reaches for one of the sandwiches and, when he's not reprimanded, takes it from the plate. He shovels the food into his mouth, alternating between taking big bites and more long gulps of water. Little globs of jelly drip from the bread, falling onto Edd's chin and torso. This goes unnoticed for the moment as Edd focuses intently on sating his hunger, though, as does the lustful gaze Terry locks upon him. He licks his lips, trying to restrain himself for the moment. Let him eat first, _then_ fuck his brains out… _then_ sleep.

The first sandwich is gone within moments and Edd pants heavily, having been holding his breath to eat as much as he could, as fast as he could. When he reaches for the other sandwich, Terry grabs his wrist. Startled, he glances up at the man. Terry grabs his chin, holding Edd's gaze as he leans forward to lick away the jelly left on Edd's jaw and lips. Quivering, Edd tries to push him away.

"Hold still," Terry growls.

"C-Can't I f-finish eating…?" Edd whimpers.

"Who says you haven't?" Terry sneers, holding the plate away, "Maybe _I_ say you've had enough."

"Wh-What?!" Edd gapes, stretching to grab the plate back, "N-No! Please! I-I'm still hungry!"

Terry grabs the water before shoving Edd backwards off his lap and onto the bed again.

"No, not till you do somethin' for me."

"No!" Edd sobs, sitting up and backing away, "N-Not again! Y-You _said_ I could eat!"

"And you _did_ ," Terry counters, "You inhaled that sandwich, so I can see how you'd forget, but you _just_ ate, _sweetheart._ "

"Y-You've _starved_ me for a whole day!" Edd argues, lunging for the plate,"That's not _nearly_ enough!"

"Says who?" Terry retorts, holding him at bay, "Cuz I say it _is_. And I say if you want more, you better gimme what I want!"

"Why are you _doing_ this?!" Edd demands, trying to reach around the hand holding him away, "Why are you being so _vindictive?!_ I've done _nothing_ to deserve this!"

"It ain't got shit to do with vindictiveness, _Princess_. All I'm askin' is that you do what I tell you. I ain't even told you what I want yet."

Edd pouts, but slowly backs down. _He can't come up with a good argument for that._ Sitting back, he gives the man a cold, angry look, but he doesn't say anything more against him.

"No," Terry states resting the plate on the bed, "In my lap."

"I don't want to," Edd replies, folding his arms across his chest.

"What did we _just_ talk about?" Terry snarls, "Get back over here."

"No." Edd scoots back a little more. "I'd _rather_ starve."

The edges of Terry's vision tinge red again as he shoots the boy a glare. This petulant child schtick is getting old fast. With a growl, he bolts to his feet.

"If that's what you want? Then fine."

Grabbing the plate from the bed and the one he'd left on the bedside table before, Terry stands up. He leaves the bottle of water on the table instead, seeing nothing wrong with letting him have that at least. Edd scrambles towards him, frantically reaching for the plate to snatch it from him. With a growl, Terry backhands him, knocking him back onto the bed. But Edd is not willing to tolerate the denial of more food any longer. He forces himself to recover as quick as he's able so he can try again. It results in sending him to the floor from losing his balance and slipping. He lands on his side, crying out a bit in pain.

Gritting his teeth, Terry grabs the back of Edd's head, digging his fingers into the boy's hair for a better grip. Edd shrieks, kicking his legs as he's dragged back onto the bed and clawing at the wrist of the hand grabbing him. It does no good. Terry sets the plates on the table again and retrieves the shackles.

"Wh—? No!" Edd cries, struggling more intensely, "No! Stop it!"

Terry decides to interrupt that with a sharp smack. Once Edd's locked back into place, sobbing and writhing and screaming for food, Terry grabs the ball gag to silence him. It doesn't stop Edd from trying, of course, and he screams harder against the gag that's forced into his mouth and locked tightly around his head, but Terry shows no concern for this. He smacks the boy once more before grabbing the plate and storming out of the room.

Upon reaching the kitchen, he throws the plate into the sink, causing it to shatter and the peanut butter and jelly to splatter against the counter and onto the floor. _Fuck it…_ He tears open the fridge and yanks out a bottle of beer to guzzle down.

"Little _fucking brat!_ " he roars, finishing off the bottle and throwing it against the wall.

Such _bullshit!_ What's it gonna take to make that kid fucking cooperate?! He grabs another beer from the fridge and another and another and sets them on the table before grabbing one and chugging it down as well, but it takes a little longer than the first. By the third bottle, he slumps down into a chair at the table and buries his face in his hands. He wants to hit something — fuck that. He wants to hit _everything_. But his body won't respond to that urge. He's exhausted from everything he's done today, dammit! All he wanted to do was crawl into bed with his little Princess and enjoy a full night's sleep. No work tomorrow means he'll be able to sleep in and wake slow and steady. But now he can't even enjoy _getting_ to sleep.

 _You're_ _going about this all wrong._

Startled, he glances up to find Edd across from him, leaning against his hand with his elbow on the table. No. Not Edd. Not really.

"What the fuck?" Terry growls, glancing at the bottle, "You ain't s'posed to be here anymore. I did what you wanted, dammit and now I'm stuck with a whiny little fucker who won't do what I say."

 _That's because you're going about it all wrong._

The voice sounds more accurate than it did before. Probably because he's been listening to the real thing for the past twenty-four hours.

"The fuck do you _mean?_ " Terry sneers, finishing off the third bottle to open the fourth, " _What_ am I doing wrong?"

 _You can't keep throwing your little tantrums when I do something you don't like._

"Quit talkin' like you're real," Terry grumbles, the fingers on his free hand curling into fists, "My _real_ Princess is all tied up in my fuckin' bedroom cuz he was bein' a little shit."

 _You're missing my point._ 'Edd' sits up, looking thoughtful. He pauses for a moment, before continuing. _I put unconditional trust into authority figures — into_ _ **adults**_ _. And you've broken that trust._

"So what?" Terry takes another long drink, "Gotta smack around little brats when they don't listen. S'the only way to _make_ 'em listen."

 _But I'm delicate, Terry_. 'Edd' leans forward again, giving him a sultry gaze. _You have to treat me gently._

Terry glares at him, gritting his teeth as he bolts to his feet.

"I'll be 'gentle' when you start givin' me what I _fuckin' want!_ "

The rage-filled display has no affect, it seems. 'Edd' only stares back at him, blinking slowly and cocking his brow.

 _You know, I wouldn't be saying any of this if you weren't already thinking it._

Terry deflates a little at that, grimacing.

 _You know I'm right._ Edd shifts in his seat. _You have to stop letting yourself get so angry._

"So what am I supposed to do," Terry sneers back, leaning against the table, "How am I supposed to fix this?"

The green eyes shift over to the books stacked on the table.

 _What about those? You borrowed them for this purpose…why not utilize them?_

Shit, that's right. He'd nearly forgotten about that. Humming thoughtfully, he grabs one from the top of the stack. It's very worn and, if he's not careful, he's sure it'll come apart in his hands. As he opens it up, he finds the words on the page to be spinning a bit. Probably shouldn't have downed those beers before trying to read this…Eh, fuck it.

Squinting a bit, he tries to focus on the words. From what he can gather, this chapter is talking a lot about punishment versus reward. It starts off by encouraging the pet owner to remain calm and cool. _Goddammit…_ The text goes on to explain that the owner must be able to remain in control of their emotions to show dominance for the dog to submit to. Losing one's temper will only result in fear and a difficulty in completing certain tasks.

 _I told you so._

He shoots a glare at that smug smile, but returns to the book. _Fine. No anger. What else?_ As he reads on, the text encourages using rewards to coerce behavior, but Terry finds himself in disbelief of that. What little rewards he's given Edd have produced unsatisfactory results. Only when he was pushed to a breaking point did Edd behave the way Terry wanted. _No shit…the little Princess ain't as stupid as a dog. He's too smart to fall for bribes and shit._

So if rewards won't work on Edd, then he'll have to try punishment. But punishment alone isn't going to be enough. He can't allow for _any_ positive reinforcement. He'll have to punish even the _smallest_ mistake. That'll make Edd try harder to please him. _Just like in the shower…_ He sees a touch of red when the book informs him that it might be a couple of weeks before he begins to see progress in this method. However, it's better than nothing. And Edd's such a smart kid…Surely he'll excel in this training?

Okay, so no positive reinforcement. He yawns, rubbing his face. Fuck, he's tired…He'll have to pick this up again tomorrow. Leaving the book open on the table, he rises to his feet and heads for the bathroom first. He's quite sure Edd's not going to just lay down and sleep at his command. He'll just have to _put_ him to sleep, then. So, he grabs some sleeping pills from the cabinet. (Great for those really intense hangovers.) With a huff, he returns to the bedroom.

As expected, when he enters the bedroom, Edd starts struggling, glaring at him and screaming behind the gag. Terry rolls his eyes, closing and locking the door behind him. Edd doesn't cease his thrashing, following him with his eyes as he tugs and writhes on the sheets. Stopping at the bedside table, Terry sets the bottle aside to remove the ball gag. Edd starts screaming at him again.

"Let me go!" he shrieks, "Take these chains _off_ of me, you wretched beast! I want to go _home!_ I want to go home!"

Ignoring him, Terry carefully reads over the directions on the bottle, squinting as his vision continues to swim. He can barely make out the tiny text instructing him that adults and children over the age of twelve should take two pills every…four? Six? Whatever. After a certain number of hours. Erring on the safe side, though, he instead takes only one of the pills and sets the bottle aside again. Then he turns back to Edd, giving him a cold look and refusing to answer him.

Grabbing his chin, he forces Edd's jaw open and holds him still. Edd writhes, trying to squirm out of his grip as Terry drops the pill into the boy's open mouth. He quickly forces Edd's mouth shut and clamps his hand over his nose and mouth to prevent him from not only spitting it back out, but also from breathing. Edd tries to fight him off, but his body becomes desperate for air. In that desperation, he swallows.

Waiting another moment, Terry lets him go and forces his mouth open again, inspecting for any sign of the pill. Nothing: good. With a sigh, he runs a hand over his face before shedding his robe again and climbing into bed on the other side of his little captive. He tires to ignore the protests from the boy.

"Wh-What _was_ that?!" he demands, pulling on his chains, "Wh-What did you just give me?! Y-You've _poisoned_ me, haven't you?!"

Terry does his best to ignore this, the growing throb in his head getting worse with each angry scream. Goddammit does he want him to just shut his stupid mouth…Edd's struggling hasn't slowed, drawing him to finally turn to the boy, who's shouting as close to obscenities as his prudish little mind will allow.

"Would you shut up?" Terry grumbles, "You're givin' me a bitch of a headache…"

"Oh, I'm _terribly_ sorry!" Edd mocks, "Am I giving you a headache?! Poor dear! Meanwhile _you_ just _poisoned me!_ "

"It ain't poison, kid," Terry sits up again, rubbing his temple, "Just lie back and wait for it to work."

"I will not!" Edd writhes to and fro, "I _insist_ you take these horrid bonds off me _immediately!_ "

"No."

Edd shrieks kicking his legs; "You're the _worst!_ I hate you so _much!_ "

Terry's knuckles crack as he clenches his fists. He's not sure how much more of _that_ he can take…But the book said he can't get angry. Can't lose control. Despite how easy it would be to just beat him, he has to restrain himself. Besides, he's fuckin' tired. He'd rather not exert himself more than he already has.

It takes about ten minutes before he sees any kind of change in Edd. His thrashing starts to slow down, though he's certainly still trying to fight back.

"Wh…What did you _give_ me?" he begs, his voice hoarse and growing soft, "I…I feel strange."

"You feel _tired,_ " Terry specifies, "I just gave ya a little somethin' to calm ya down."

"No…" Edd whimpers, his writhing weakened significantly.

His eyelids are drooping and his breathing is slowing down. His body looks to be less responsive than before. Terry tests this by dragging his hand up Edd's side. He flinches a bit and looks to be trying to squirm away, but he can't move nearly as much as before or half as fast. _Good._ Leaning over him, Terry places open-mouth kisses along Edd's neck, nipping and suckling little marks into his flesh. Edd whines, trying again to squirm away.

Terry doesn't linger there. He stays just long enough to get a taste before sitting up again. He retrieves the handcuffs and unlocks the shackles around Edd's wrist to replace them with the cuffs. He just barely hears Edd mumble little protests against that, but he can't do much more. Technically, he should probably just leave Edd chained up. But he doesn't want that. Just one more night. One more night to enjoy the warmth of his little Princess nestled in his arms. One more morning to wake up with his nose buried in that slender neck. After that, he can hunker down and get serious.

Just not yet.

With another yawn, he makes sure the alarm is _off_ this time and sets it aside. He considers unplugging the phone in the kitchen too, but his body is shutting down just as fast as Edd's seems to be. Oh well, the foam had made it all but impossible to keep a phone in the bedroom anyway, so even if someone _does_ call in the morning, it shouldn't bother them. Besides, the boy has stopped moving, save for the rise and fall of his chest. His half-lidded eyes are foggy and his mouth is open slightly to allow him to pant in his clear worry regarding his body's betrayal. At least he's being quiet. Now to get comfortable…

Grabbing the blankets, Terry pulls them up and over their naked forms. He carefully places Edd's arms around his neck, forcing the boy's body against his own. Edd mumbles his protests to this, still desperate to fight back. As he nuzzles Edd's neck and settles in to sleep, a part of Terry must admit, he's impressed. For Edd to continue fighting him even when he's been drugged and starved is a feat. His willpower is definitely more formidable than he would have expected. It may indeed take longer than he would have liked to break him.

So be it.


	12. Ch 11 - BulldozEdd into Doing

The warmth surrounding him is heavenly as Terry slowly wakes. Along with that are the scrawny arms around his neck and the little body nestled half beneath him, which remind him of his beloved's presence amidst the silence. As of yet, he's not started his typical screaming — he must still be sleeping. With a content sigh, Terry nuzzles his nose against Edd's neck near his jaw and nips and pecks at the purplish blemishes. He's rewarded for his efforts by the adorable little whimpers that ring so beautifully in his ears. Edd's eyes blink open, but without the ability to rub away the sleep, he's unable to keep them that way. No matter. He doesn't need Edd to see him for this. He trails his hands down the slender hips, gently squeezing the soft, supple skin as he goes. Edd begins writhing against his touch, his arms tightening around the man's neck in his efforts to pull away from those hands.

Licking his lips, Terry carefully removes Edd's arms from around his shoulders. Edd sighs in relief, rubbing his aching neck and shoulders and half-turning onto his side. After a moment, he collapses onto his back again and his hands fall limp to his own heaving chest before going back to trying to massage his shoulder. Taking advantage of this distraction, Terry reaches into the bedside table to retrieve a bottle of lube. Before he can get anywhere, however, Edd suddenly curls up on his side, whining and holding his middle. Upon closer inspection, he spots tears trickling down the boy's cheeks. _Fuck…_

"Puh…P-Please…" Edd sobs, "P- _Please_ let me eat!" He peeks up at the man, the pain clear in his eyes. "I-It hurts! _Please!_ "

Gritting his teeth, Terry sets the bottle aside again. He won't get very far if Edd's like this. Might as well give him _something._ Without responding to that, he instead grabs the bottle of water and hands it to Edd, who gratefully accepts it. Before he can take a drink, though, Terry grabs the chain of the cuffs.

"I'll bring you somethin' to eat, sweetheart," he breathes, "But first, I'm gonna give you the option to go to the bathroom. Brush your teeth? Take a piss?"

Edd grimaces a bit, but shakes his head; "I-I don't think I can stand…l-let alone walk…"

"Fine," Terry grumbles, releasing the chain and sitting upright.

As he grabs his robe, he notices Edd out of the corner of his eye gulping down what's left of the warm water. When the bottle's empty and he's clothed himself, Terry takes it back.

"I'll bring you more water too…" he mumbles, grabbing the key for the door.

"Th…Thank you…?"

Terry pauses, turning to him fully. Edd shivers under his gaze, his cheeks tinted a light pink. Brow cocked, the man leans back over him and grabs his chin.

"Why don't you thank me properly?" he sneers.

Edd offers meek little whimpers in response, giving him a pitiful look. With a reluctant grimace, he sits up a little, but can't seem to will himself to do what Terry seems to be asking. Oh well. He doesn't struggle as Terry urges him forward so that those sweet lips are against his own. Edd releases timid protests in the back of his throat — probably something about neither of them having brushed their teeth yet, if Terry had to guess — but doesn't fight back. As Terry pulls away again, he drags his thumb over the chapped lips.

"Good boy," he purrs, "Now, you just sit tight, darling, and I'll bring you something _really_ good."

He receives an uncomfortable look, but other than that, Edd merely lies back down, cradling his growling , meanwhile, leaves the room, locking it up as he goes. A quick stop at the bathroom — just because Edd can wait doesn't mean _he_ intends to — and then it's off to the kitchen. Bacon n' eggs sound _damn_ good right now.

As he gathers ingredients and the necessary cookware, however, he's startled by the phone breaking the silence in the midday air.

 _Rrrriiiiing…_

Fuck…Who the hell would be calling him?! Mike? That fucker _knows_ he's not on the schedule today, right? He doesn't have to go back till Sunday…right?

 _Rrrriiiiing_ _…!_

Is it Dave fucking with him? Shit…Did the cops catch his trail? How the fuck?! He could swear he'd covered his tracks perfectly!

 _Rrrriiiiing_ _…!_

Licking his lips that suddenly feel way too dry, he picks up the phone and speaks sharply into the receiver.

"What?" he demands, gritting his teeth in anticipation.

" _Terry?_ "

He can't fight the sigh of relief at the sound of his mother's voice.

"Hey mom…" he breathes, rubbing at his eyes.

As his heart slowly stops beating out of his chest, he half tunes her out. She tries to make small talk at first, a clear sign that she's building up to something she knows he could care less about. He has a sinking feeling he knows what that might be, but he's certain it'll be easy enough to throw her off if there's any suspicion. Just gotta play it cool.

"You wanna get to the point, mom?"

He hears her sigh on the other end of the line.

" _Terry, honey, can you please talk to your brother?_ " she asks, sounding desperate, " _Eddy's been so upset the past few days and I think hearing from you would make a world of difference._ "

"I thought you didn't _want_ me talkin' to the little Pipsqueak," Terry retorts as he holds the phone between his ear and his shoulder so he can open the package of bacon, "Why the sudden change of heart?"

" _You_ _ **know**_ _why your father and I don't like you talking to Eddy,_ " she nearly growls into the phone, " _But we're willing to make an exception if it'll make him feel better._ "

"What's so wrong with the little anklebiter that you think you need to call _me?_ " Terry asks as he spreads the bacon over the pan and turns on the stove.

Another sigh as she mumbles something to herself before addressing him again, " _One of Eddy's little friends went missing the other day._ "

Yup. He had a feeling this all traced back to Edd somehow…Just play it cool.

"The other day?" Terry scoffs, "How d'ya know the little brat didn't just run off?"

" _Oh no…_ " she argues sweetly, " _Eddward would_ _ **never**_ _have done that. He was always Eddy's most well-behaved friend._ "

Terry rolls his eyes. _Well-behaved my fat ass…_

" _Listen, Terry,_ " she pleads, " _Eddy's so upset. He keeps blaming himself and he refuses to go to school until the police find Eddward. Your father and I don't know what to do. We just need to take his mind off of this so he'll go back to school. Can you please talk to him, Terry?_ "

"Why _me?_ " Terry grumbles, taking a pair of tongs and turning the bacon over, "We've just reestablished that you n' the ol' man hate it when I talk to Pipsqueak. What makes you think _I_ can do anything about this?"

" _Because hearing from you always makes him happy,_ " she answers, " _Please, Terry. It'll only take a few minutes. Please?_ "

Shaking his head, Terry keeps his focus mainly on the sizzling pan.

" _Terry?_ "

"Look, mom, I'm a little busy right now," he replies, "I gotta get ready for work."

" _ **Please**_ _, Terry!_ " she insists.

"Alright, alright!" Terry groans back , "Jesus…I can't talk _now,_ but I'll call back later, okay?"

She huffs at that, but seems to accept it; " _Fine. Eddy refuses to go to school_ _ **again**_ _today, so just make sure you don't call too late._ "

"Yeah, yeah…"

" _Oh, and Terry?_ " she pauses, as though waiting for him to respond, but continues on, " _Eddy said something about waiting for a package from you…? Did something happen to it?_ "

"Hmm…" Terry pretends to think it over as he carefully sets the bacon on a plate covered in a paper towel, "Dunno. I'll check in with the post office too, I guess."

" _Thank you, sweetheart,_ " she breathes, " _I know that'll definitely make Eddy feel better._ "

"Right…" he grumbles, "Well, nice hearin' from ya, mom. I'll call back to talk to Pipsqueak later."

" _Thank you, Terry,_ " she repeats, " _I'll let you go. Behave yourself out there. I love you._ "

"Yeah, love you too, mom," Terry mumbles, "Talk to ya later, I guess."

" _Bye-bye, sweetheart._ "

With that, she hangs up, allowing him to do the same and set the phone aside. He almost regrets lying to his own mother. As frustrating as both her and his dad tended to be, he could always rely on _her,_ at least, to be halfway on his side — willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Thus, lying to her did hurt a bit.

Oh well…Can't be helped. Instead of lingering on that any longer, he returns his attention to breakfast. After the bacon has cooked, he carefully drains away the remaining grease. Might be useful later (cooking or otherwise…). Next comes the eggs. If not for that phone call, he probably could've cooked them at the same time as the bacon. But splitting his focus between balancing the phone, cooking bacon, _and_ lying to his mother had proven to almost be too difficult to manage as it was.

Once the skillet is on the burner, he leans against the counter, waiting for it to heat up. In the meantime, he happens a glance at the books on the table. Cocking his brow, he grabs the one he'd been reading last night and sets it on the counter beside the stove. As he scoops out a knife-full of butter to grease the hot pan with, he reads over more of the chapter on punishment vs. reward. The book insists that reward is the best course of action, but he's just not sure. Edd's been so damn stubborn…

After cracking the eggs open into the skillet, he wonders if it's worth another shot. Edd does tend to be more receptive after he's been punished. Maybe he just needs to merge the two? Punish and punish until Edd's so desperate that he'll do anything for his reward…? Sure. One more time. He'll bring Edd his breakfast, let him eat a little bit, then see how well Edd will cooperate with him then.

 _Are you going to pamper me, Terry?_

He shoots a grimace over his shoulder at the figure sitting at the table. 'Edd' smiles sweetly at him, leaning against the table and swaying his shoulders. Rolling his eyes, Terry chooses not to dignify that with a response. The eggs are about cooked anyway. He'll deal with the real thing instead. Once the eggs in the pan are ready, he removes them and sets them on a plate before cracking a few more into the skillet. A quick glance at the time: 12:34 P.M. He's still got the whole day to relax with his little darling.

When breakfast is ready, he piles the eggs, bacon and a couple of forks onto one plate and grabs a couple bottles of water by their nearly non-existent necks. He considers making some toast as well, but he just needs enough to make Edd's hunger pain go away. The eggs and bacon alone should cover that.

Back to the room. It's a bit of a hassle to unlock the door, but he just manages. After slipping back through the door, he locks up again and turns to Edd. He's sitting up in bed, his eyes locked on the plate of food and his fingers curled into the sheets. Shooting him a wicked grin, Terry pockets the key and approaches the bed. Edd quivers under his gaze, hunching over a little as he draws his legs to his chest. He knows what's coming. He follows the plate with his eyes as Terry sets it and the water on the bedside table. His stomach gives an impatient growl, which he tries to stifle with his arms. Despite his hunger, he doesn't make a move towards the food. Good; it seems he also knows that he won't be fed until Terry gives him permission. To that end…

Grabbing the handcuff key, Terry mounts the bed and crawls over him. Instinctively, he assumes, Edd tries to back away, resulting in him losing his balance and falling onto his back. Covering his mouth with his hands, he finally focuses on the man above him. Licking his lips, Terry moves his hands away.

"None of that, _Princess_ ," he purrs as he removes the cuffs and sets them aside, "Now, I bet you wanna just dig right in, don'tcha?"

Edd's eyes flicker to the plate and he gulps before nodding.

"Y-Yes… _p-please,_ " he begs softly.

Scoffing, Terry leans forward, making Edd shrink back again.

"N-No, please!" he sobs, holding his hands up defensively, "I-I'm so hungry! _Please!_ "

"Relax, beautiful," Terry purrs, kissing his cheek, "I'm gonna feed you. But first I wanna play with you."

Edd squirms in response; "P-Please…"

"Shh…" Terry slips his robe off before placing his hands on Edd's hips, "Just lay back and let me enjoy this. Then you can eat."

Edd whimpers softly, clenching his fists over his chest as Terry moves the slender legs so that they wrap around the large waist. After another glance at the plate, however, he gives a weary nod. Biting his lip, he turns his head away. Perfect. Moving Edd's hands away from his chest, Terry leans forward to kiss and suck along Edd's neck and shoulders. Finally, there's no resistance. Only Edd's squirming body against his own. The small thighs are rubbing and squeezing his hips, leading to the unintended result of Edd's cock moving and pressing against his own. With a moan, Terry gives the boy's neck a love bite. Fuck it. Time to see how far he can push this.

"Put your arms around me, Princess," he hisses.

Another pitiful whimper as Edd reluctantly obeys, bringing his shaking hands up and placing them around the man's neck.

"And look at me, darling."

Cringing, he slowly looks up and searches Terry's face, but refuses to make contact with his eyes. As Terry's hands move to grope his backside, Edd swallows hard.

"Puh…P-Please…" he mumbles, his lip quivering, "I'm s-so hungry…I-I want to eat."

"Is that right?" Terry sneers, "Well maybe _I_ want to fuck again."

Edd's legs squeeze Terry's hips again as he gives him a pleading look. "N-No! D-Dear lord, please, no! N-Not that! A-Anything but that!"

"Anything?" Terry leans in closer, pressing his forehead to Edd's and making the boy murmur pitiful pleas, "After I feed you, you'll do whatever I tell you? No more throwing your little tantrums or denying me my right to your body?"

Heaving a hiccuping sob, Edd forces a nod; "A-Anything…Just…p-please…"

With a hum of approval, Terry leans in to get in a quick peck to Edd's lips before sitting up again. As he does, Edd scrambles away from him, pulling his legs up and holding his arms as he quivers. Terry grits his teeth.

"And just _what_ do you think you're doing?"

Edd bows his head, his cheeks tinged with pink; "I-I'm just…c-cold…? A-And I d-didn't want you to…t-to spill the food?"

Terry looks him over skeptically. _My Princess is a shitty liar._ But so be it. If that's the story he's going with, he'll allow it. For now.

"Fine," he grumbles, reaching for the plate and the bottles. Sitting back, he rests them on the bed beside him and turns to look at Edd again. "No spills." He motions Edd to come to him. "Now, come here."

Edd pouts in response, but reluctantly obeys, climbing into Terry's lap. He shudders as Terry's genitals graze his thigh, but he doesn't move away, his growling stomach acting like an anchor to keep him in place. As added insurance, Terry places one hand on Edd's shoulder, pulling him close so that the boy leans against his chest. The little hands come up so that Edd may brace himself, pressing against Terry's chest and stomach. It draws another whine, but that's as far as Edd goes to protest his situation. That's certainly a step in the right direction.

As Terry hands him a bottle of water, he presses a tender kiss to his temple. Ignoring the grimace he receives, he then grabs the plate. He hears the plastic of the bottle _crack_ and _pop_ and finds Edd to be squeezing it in his shaking hands as he stares at the food, still steaming ever so slightly. His little tongue flicks out past his lips, moist with drool, and his breathing grows steadily faster. Still, though, he doesn't reach for the plate or move from Terry's lap, no matter how difficult it is for him. With a wicked grin, Terry hums thoughtfully, looking over the food.

"Doesn't it look yummy?" he purrs, moving it closer so that Edd can see the glistening eggs and smell the overpowering bacon.

Edd's eyes nearly roll back in his head and he sways a bit in the man's grasp. A bit of drool slips past his parting lips and marks a trail to his chin. Swallowing thickly, he glances up at Terry, his brow furrowed.

"M-May I puh…p-please…?"

"Oh, I know…" Terry muses, moving the plate away again, "You just wanna stuff your little face." He licks his lips again. "But you know better than that, my little darling. You're gonna have to work for it."

"No…" Edd whimpers, deflating considerably.

Setting the plate down, Terry picks up one of the strips of bacon and waves it beneath the boy's nose, making him squirm and whine. Before Edd can try to take a bite out of the crispy slice, Terry jerks it away again. Tears begin trickling down Edd's cheeks.

"P-Please!" he begs, "I-I'll do anything!"

"Good," Terry snickers, setting the bacon back on the plate, "Then let's start small."

Edd bows his head, trying to wipe away his tears. _Dammit…_ It's getting harder to pretend he doesn't notice that…But he can't let up. Not yet. Tracing Edd's lower lip with his thumb, he makes sure that the lingering taste of the bacon spreads to the boy's tongue, making him shudder.

"Princess," he scolds softly, making Edd focus again, "Like I said, we're gonna start small. For every bite you wanna have, you gotta kiss me."

That sobers Edd up considerably, and he tries to back away as the bottle slips from his fingers and tumbles to the bed. When he himself doesn't get very far, though, he resorts to making his familiar, anxious noises. He covers his mouth with his hands, muttering into his palms an argument with himself about how inappropriate this is, but that he _needs_ to eat. Finally, he lowers his hands, taking a deep, shuddering breath. He gulps down his discomfort, his eyes flickering between the food and his captor. Closing his eyes, he awkwardly sits up. As he tries to will himself to continue, his eyes open to dart back and forth all around him. He's clearly disgusted by the very idea of giving in to this demand. However, ultimately, he leans up to place a nervous peck to Terry's cheek, near the corner of his mouth.

Gritting his teeth, Terry grabs the boy's jaw, squeezing a bit and holding the squirming, whimpering Edd in place.

"You really think that's gonna cut it, _sweetheart?_ " he snarls, "I told you to kiss me. Don't you wanna eat?"

Edd sobs in response, his fingers gripping weakly at Terry's wrist. He forces himself to nod to show he understands.

"Then do it right."

When Terry lets him go, he takes a moment to rub his jaw before turning back to the man. One last glance at the food before he reluctantly leans in, shutting his eyes tight as he presses his lips to Terry's. _Much better._ Tilting Edd's chin up a bit, he slips his tongue past the soft lips, making Edd release a warbling noise somewhere between a whine and perhaps a moan? He lets Edd back away a moment later, ignoring the sick look on his face. Satisfied, Terry grabs a strip of bacon and waves it in front of Edd's face.

"Here ya go, darlin'," he purrs, "Just like I promised. Now, open wide."

Swallowing thickly, Edd opens his mouth, sticking his tongue out in anticipation of the food. Placing the strip on Edd's tongue, he lets the boy close his lips around it, waiting for him to bite down. When he does, the half of the slice that hadn't been caught in his teeth comes loose and Terry moves it away to allow Edd to savor the bite still in his mouth. And savor it, he does. Edd closes his eyes, chewing thoughtfully and humming in satisfaction. After swallowing the bite, he sighs and slowly opens his eyes back up. He gazes up at the man expectantly, knowing what he must do. Before he can lean in for another kiss, though, Terry places the last bit of bacon between his lips.

He speaks out of the corner of his mouth; "You know what to do if you want the rest of the bite."

Using his tongue, he maneuvers the bacon so that it's sticking straight out of his mouth and balanced between his lips. Edd shivers, but reluctantly leans up to wrap his lips around the piece of bacon, making sure to also press his lips to Terry's as well. Terry lets him take the bacon as he pulls away, chewing it up like the first bite.

Bit by bit, Edd gives in, offering timid kisses in exchange for his bites of food. While Edd enjoys each one, Terry takes a few of his own from the plate. After a few minutes, though, Terry decides that kisses really aren't enough anymore. As Edd leans up, swallowing the previous bite before trying to give him another kiss, Terry stops him.

"Alright, Princess," he breathes, cupping Edd's chin, "Let's up the stakes a bit. If you want more, you'll have to do something more for _me._ "

Edd's brow furrows as he curls in on himself. He's surely still hungry after only having a few bites, but hesitant to continue.

"Wh…What…do you want me to do…?" he asks softly.

"Hmm…" Terry pauses to think, stroking his goatee.

In doing so, it occurs to him he should probably shave at some point, but he'll have to worry about that later. For now, what to make Edd do…? Hmm…He'd _love_ to see his little darling put on a show for him. Maybe not masturbate for him just yet — he wants Edd to yearn for _his_ touch, after all — but maybe that's close?

"Mm…I want you to lay down flat on your back," Terry commands, "And spread your legs."

Edd shifts a bit in Terry's lap, looking uncomfortable with the idea. He glances down at the bed, his eyes shifting over the sheets and pillows before sighing softly, his shoulders going lax. However, he follows the order, slipping off the man's lap and lying back. After moving the bottle of water aside and lying back, he doesn't immediately spread his legs, but instead pulls his knees together self-consciously. Cocking his brow, Terry uses one of the forks to fiddle with a half-eaten egg.

"I'm waiting," he states as he scoops it up and finishes it off.

Whimpering, Edd reluctantly moves his knees apart again, his face a bright, burning red. He keeps his knees raised, though, and chooses not to extend his legs completely. Terry drinks in the sight of his little beloved's quivering body. Sitting up, he sets the plate beside Edd's head and moves to sit beside the slender legs so that he has the perfect vantage point. He feels those pretty green eyes on him, waiting for his next command. They flicker once in a while to glance at the food beside him, but Edd dares not move just yet.

"Alright, my little Princess," Terry breathes, ghosting his fingers over Edd's thigh, "I want to see you be naughty for me."

Edd brings his hands towards his chest, unsure of what else to do with them.

"I-I don't…" he mumbles, "Wh…What… _exactly_ d-do you…?"

"Touch yourself, Princess," Terry orders, "Anywhere. I want to watch your cute little hands move all over your body."

The tiny fingers curl into shaking fists as Edd's entire body tenses. Instinctively, his knees tilt inward again, drawing together in his embarrassment. Terry moves one of them back to where it was, his eyes never leaving Edd's own.

"Do it," he states, "And if you do it well, I'll keep feeding you."

Still shivering, Edd glances down at his own body. Terry doesn't rush him, enjoying more of the breakfast while he observes the boy. He keeps his hand on Edd's knee, stroking the soft skin of his thigh with his thumb. Softer than he could have ever imagined…He presses his cheek against Edd's knee, nuzzling it slightly as he returns his attention to the boy lying prone before him. Edd's closed his eyes and has begun slowly moving his hands down his chest.

"Look at me," Terry commands grimacing at him. Edd winces at that, but obeys, his eyes blinking open. "I want you to fuckin' _look at me_ while you touch yourself."

With a huff, Edd nods, keeping his eyes open and his attention aimed at Terry. He still won't look him in the eye, of course, but it's a start. It's a real treat, watching Edd uncomfortably dragging his hands over his own body. He has no idea what he's doing or why, but a part of the situation is definitely having the effect Terry was hoping for. Knowing he's being observed and grazing certain parts of his body combine to create the perfect stimulus. His fingers begin traveling lower and lower, nearly touching his cock, which, Terry delights to note, is growing erect from the stimulation.

Pleased, he rewards Edd by dangling a strip of bacon above his lips. Edd's tongue flicks out of his mouth to wet his lips and he leans up to grab the bacon between his teeth. It makes the man laugh; knowing he'd reduced Edd to behaving like little more than a trained pet.

The reward of food makes Edd a bit more confident in his movements, and he begins moving his hands with intent. Squeezing his own hips as his hands move over them, pressing down against the plush skin over his stomach. Finally, his hands rub over his cock. His body tenses and he shivers as the anticipated jolt of pleasure accosts him. Terry rewards that with another bite of food, making Edd moan in satisfaction.

With a grin, Terry moves the plate farther away. They can keep eating in a minute. He's gotta feel this perfect body against his own _now._ Steadying himself with one hand near Edd's head, he positions his body between the boy's legs and leans in to kiss him. Edd brings his hands up, placing them on the broad shoulders in his surprise, but only that. He doesn't try to push the man away. _Fuck yes_ …So good…The hand near Edd's head slides forward as he slips lower over the boy and his other hand traces the soft waist and hip. Edd's lips and tongue taste like the salty bacon, but damn if he cares about that in the slightest. It's damn delicious.

He's startled from this bliss, however, as the hand that is still on the bed grazes something unexpected beneath the pillows. Opening his eyes, he breaks away from the kiss and pulls the item from under the pillow. A warm, black cloth; Edd's hat? Hadn't he thrown that away somewhere around the time they last fucked? What's it doing _here?_

Edd's soft gasp draws him back to his captive, who's trying to sit up, his eyes locked on his hat. He raises his hand to grab it, but stops just before his fingers can graze the fabric, his eyes wide. _Dammit…This isn't how this was supposed to_ _ **work!**_ Terry grits his teeth, clutching the fabric tight in his shaking fist as he glares at the boy.

"You were gonna hide this from me?" he snarls, making the boy shiver.

"I-I just…" Edd stutters.

"I thought I told you; no clothes," Terry goes on.

"P-Please…" Edd bows his head, "I…I can't stand to…t-to not have my hat…" He glances up at the man with a pleading look. "I-I just…f-found it…A-And I wanted to…t-to have it…J-Just to…h-have it!"

A comfort? Like a little security blanket. No. No no no. He can't allow that. Edd can't find comfort in _anything_ else but him. No wonder he'd been more willing to obey him. No wonder he'd been so willing to do these things that make him cringe. Because he could just curl up with his little hat the second Terry leaves the room. God dammit. God _dammit!_

With a growl, Terry stands up from the bed. He doesn't make it much farther, though, before Edd wraps his arms around his waist, pressing his cheek to Terry's chest.

"N-No, please!" he begs, "D-Don't take it away! I-It's all I _have!_ "

Terry shoves Edd off before giving him a sharp smack across his cheek.

" _I'm_ all you've got, _Princess!_ "

Edd sobs, clutching his burning cheek as he lays on the bed. Throwing the hat across the room, Terry snatches up the ball gag. He grabs Edd by the hair near the back of his head, making him cry out in pain. As he does, Terry shoves the gag into his mouth, silencing him and making him choke. Once it's secure and painfully tight, Terry grabs up both of Edd's wrists and wraps one hand around them. He drags the boy off of the bed to the door, snagging one of the bottles of lube from the drawer as he goes. Edd struggles in earnest, desperately trying to pull away from the man's grip as Terry unlocks the door and pulls him out of the room.

On the way to the bathroom, Edd continues digging his heels into the cold floor beneath his feet, but gains no traction. Terry shoves him inside, showing no remorse as the boy falls unceremoniously to the floor and bonks his head on the tub. He squeals in pain, but it's nothing life-threatening. Kicking the door shut behind them, Terry grabs Edd's hips and hoists them up a bit so that the boy is on his knees. He then digs his fingers into the hair on the back of Edd's head again and forces him to face him. He gives him another angry smack before taking the gag off and letting Edd wail in anguish. Damn right; he actually _wants_ to hear him scream now…

Grimacing, he shoves Edd back onto the floor, rubbing his face into the soft rug. That's about as much comfort as he'll allow him to get from this. He's rough as he stretches Edd out this time. He has no interest in taking things slow now. Not after all of this effort he's put in. Not after the insult he's been given. Edd squirms in pain, trying to pull away from Terry's probing fingers.

"N-No!" he whines, "No, please!"

In response, Terry rears the boy's head back and then violently shoves him forward again. He hears him grunt and squeal in pain, but gives that no more thought. His vision is tunneling as he lubes up his cock and strokes himself to erection. All he can think about is getting out this frustration and driving the message home. Punish even the smallest mistake. _Make Edd do better_. Holding Edd's hip with one hand, he guides his cock into his ass with the other. He grits his teeth against the tight resistance, but doesn't let that stop him. Edd shrieks in pain, his fingers digging into the rug. Through the pain, he tries to pull himself away, but to no avail; Terry keeps him in place.

He's just as rough as he starts thrusting into the boy, keeping his face shoved into the rug and going at as brutal a pace as he can manage. Harder and harder. He's going to make _sure_ this hurts! On and on it goes until Edd's reduced to a whimpering mess. Blood is trickling down his thighs and staining the rug beneath them. Whatever. It'll be a nice reminder for Edd what will happen should he anger him again.

His orgasm isn't nearly as satisfying as he would've liked, but that's not quite the point. To make sure it hurts as much as possible, he drags his nails down Edd's hips, leaving long, red welts in their wake. Panting, he slowly rises to sit up, still glaring down at Edd. With a growl, he forces him to turn his head so that he's pressing his temple painfully to the floor. From this vantage, he can see that Edd's lip has been split — probably from when he slammed him into the floor. Maybe cut his lip on that fuckin' gap? — and that his nose is bleeding, resulting in blood running from his nose to his lip and what surely started as twin trails down his chin but which have now become splattered and smudged. He gazes up at the man in horror through his tears, unsure of what to say, but knowing that speaking for even a second may get him worse. Terry leans in close.

"I'm all you've got," he repeats with a snarl, digging his nails in for added emphasis, "And if you don't start shapin' up, I'm gonna get rough with you. Next time you fuck up, I won't be _gentle!_ "

Edd cringes, his entire body tensing. Without another word, Terry pulls his cock out of him, drawing another pathetic whine from the boy. When Terry releases his hips, Edd collapses onto the floor, sobbing softly. His toes curl along with his fingers and his entire body begins to shrink in on itself. With a scoff, Terry takes the ball gag and stands up. Glaring down at Edd, he heads for the door.

"Feel free to clean yourself up," he spits, "Cuz you ain't gettin' out of here for the rest of the god damn day at _least._ "

Sparing him no further time or energy, he storms out of the bathroom and locks it up behind him, leaving Edd in a huddled, bleeding mass on the floor.


	13. Ch 12 - Back to the Drawing Bro

Breathing heavily, Terry storms down the hall after making sure the lock is in place over the bathroom door. As he enters the bedroom, he spots the half-eaten breakfast strewn about over the sheets. Goddamnit! There's another _fucking_ thing to add to his list! With a groan, he first turns to his dresser and roots around for a comfortable pair of pants, one of his jerseys, and some boxers. There's a laundromat in town he can hit up to take care of this. It occurs to him that he probably doesn't _need_ to wash the bedding at all — at least not right now. The mess created by the eggs and bacon hitting the sheets would just leave greasy stains, if anything. However, washing them will kill some time, which he definitely needs now that he's got Edd cooling off in the bathroom, and it'll be nice to get out of the trailer and clear his head a bit.

When he's dressed, he grabs some spare change from the top of the dresser. Just enough for the sheets. That's fine. He can head back later for a full load after he gets paid again. As he cleans up the breakfast and gathers up the sheets, he wishes he could snag a quick shower. Or, at the least, it'd be nice if he could shave. He's sure he looks like shit. Ah well…As long as he can clean up before his shift on Sunday, it's fine. And really, why should he give two shits about what a bunch of assholes at a laundromat think about him?

Once the bed is stripped, he takes the discarded food and water back into the kitchen and grabs himself a garbage bag. It's not like he has much else to carry the laundry around in, after all. Gathering up the sheets into the bag and leaving the comforter — that, at least, didn't get any food on it — he pockets his keys and his wallet and heads out. Passing the bathroom, he hears the pipes give a sudden _groan_ and _creak_. He can't hear much past that — the foam prevents any sounds within the bathroom itself — but he assumes the water has begun running. Edd must have gathered the strength to get a bath. He considers barging in on him to put some more fear into him, but ultimately decides against it. No, he'd prefer to check in on his princess after he's all washed-up and pretty again. So Edd can go ahead and get a nice bath out of the way while he heads out to take care of the boring shit. Before walking out the door, he stops by his hallway closet and snags the laundry detergent and a box of dryer sheets. He also decides to grab one of the books from the kitchen table to read while he waits.

As he walks out into the afternoon light, he grimaces in disgust. The brats and their parents are out and about, screaming their obnoxious heads off and running around without a care in the world. Oh well, as long as they stay far away from his fucking trailer, he could care less. He notices a bit of a chill in the air, indicating the approaching autumn. Won't be long before he starts seeing the coats with crusty sleeves on children with even snottier noses. Ugh…At least they don't get a lot of snow around here. There are certainly those days when the park will be blanketed in white, but he's never seen it get _too_ bad.

The thought of snow brings forth images in his mind of bringing his little Princess out to play. Seeing him all bundled up and lookin' adorable as fuck. Watching him make little snow angels and build simple snowmen. Then heading back inside to snuggle up under a warm blanket and share some hot chocolate. And then fucking his brains out until they're both so exhausted they can't move an inch. Now _that's_ a happy thought…

Traffic is frustrating as all hell, but he reaches the laundromat soon enough. After picking out a couple of washers next to each other, he wipes them down — he'd rather not waste _more_ time and money cleaning the sheets more than once if the last fucker to use this left a mess. He ignores the looks he gets as he stuffs the flat top sheet into one machine and the fitted sheet into the other. The detergent follows and, after a quick adjustment to the settings and inserting the correct change, the cycle begins.

Now to wait…

Setting his detergent on the counter beside the box of dryer sheets and the book, he leans against the counter behind him and glares into the window as it fills with water. He can almost hear his mother's nagging voice chastising him for not getting more bedsheets. _Terry, honey, you should have at_ _ **least**_ _three sets of sheets for your bed and rotate them every week so they don't get all musty._ Yeah, because that fuckin' matters ever. If he had his own fuckin' washer, then sure. Why the fuck not? But he's the one payin' for it when he's gotta make these fuckin' trips. Come to think of it, why hasn't _she_ gotten him anymore sheets if she's so damn concerned anyway?

He rubs his temple, trying to keep the headache at bay. Fuck it…That's far from what he should be focusing on right now. He's gotta figure out what to do about the little Princess. He can't just leave him in the bathroom all the time. As easy as that sounds, he wants Edd in the bedroom too. At the same time, though, he can't keep him there either. At least, he can't keep him on the _bed_. Too comfortable for all of the misbehaving he's been doing. Can't let him curl up on the bed and snuggle into the sheets. _Well…unless it's with me._ No, he's gotta do something to drive the sense of ownership home. With that in mind, he grabs his book and flips it open. This one's a bit more recent and is held together a lot better. Brow furrowed, he looks for any information about effectively punishing a disobedient pet. The most prominent thing that the book discusses is that physical punishment is highly discouraged. That it would increase aggression rather than decrease it. But would that _really_ apply to Edd…?

" _Do you have a new puppy?_ " a chipper voice chimes to his left.

Glancing to his right, he's confronted by a girl who's probably in her early twenties, a basket balanced on her hip. Her dark hair is held back by a red, paisley bandana and her green eyes flicker back and forth between him and the book for a moment. He shrugs.

"Sort of…" he grumbles, "Why?"

She sets her basket on the counter, laughing nervously; "Sorry to interrupt. I just saw your book and was curious. I actually have a couple of dogs myself."

"Oh really…?" Terry fights the urge to roll his eyes, focusing on the words on the page, "Any suggestions on how to discipline a pet that won't _fuckin'_ listen."

She giggles a bit; "Does he bark a lot?"

"Little bit."

"You've just gotta be patient," she claims, with a shrug, "The books I've read all say roughly the same thing. Encourage good behavior with rewards and positive attention, and discourage bad behavior by redirecting their attention from doing what they shouldn't."

"Yeah, I'm not sure that'll work for me," Terry replies.

"Well, it's better than my dad's methods," she scoffs back, a hand on her hip, "He'd just tell ya to tie him up to a post outside or somethin'."

He glances at her, intrigued by that comment. _Now there's an idea…_

"But of course, that's a little extreme," she continues, "I mean, a time-out in the yard or something isn't a bad idea, but chaining him up might be a little excessive."

Her eyes drift over to a clock over the door and she suddenly picks up her basket again.

"Oh jeez, I've gotta go," she laughs anxiously, "I'm gonna be late. It was nice talking to you."

Terry hums back, his thoughts already distracted as she slips past him towards the door.

"Good luck with your new puppy!"

He gives her a half-hearted wave before setting the book aside. Tying Edd to a post might not work out — particularly because he can't take him outside right now — but maybe he can chain him to something _other_ than a post? He could even put the dog collar to use. He hasn't even thought about it since he brought Edd home. And fuck if he doesn't wanna see his pretty Princess wearing it.

However, if he's going to chain Edd to something in the bedroom, he'll have to get even _more_ equipment for that. And he's fuckin' strapped for cash. He can't afford to go out and buy anything else. Running a hand down his face, he glances at the clock on the wall. He probably _could_ at least run to the hardware store after this. Get an idea of how much he'll have to spend. But not now. Even _he_ knows not to leave his laundry for even a second. Just gotta wait it out…

* * *

A couple hours later and he's finally wrapping things up at the laundromat. After stuffing the dried sheets back into his bag (and getting an earful for not _folding_ them first) he gathers up the detergent, dryer sheets, and book, and returns to his van. It's a little after three, so he definitely has time to make a quick stop at the hardware store. Just to see…

The staff is different than his previous visits, he's relieved to note, so it shouldn't look too suspicious that he's back _again._ They manage to help him narrow down what he's looking for when he asks for a tool to secure something to the ground with a chain. They direct him to something called a 'flushed mount tie down'. To his surprise, the fixture itself and the appropriate nails are just a little under ten dollars. Fuck it. He gladly takes them. He also asks about some small padlocks and finds a pack of four at a similar price. _Twenty bucks? Yeah, okay._ That's nowhere near as bad as his previous hardware purchases. He can easily afford that. A meager payment later and he's off and heading home again.

He doesn't bother checking in on Edd when he enters the trailer. The bathroom door is still locked and with the window inside now boarded up with the foam-covered plywood, he knows the kid wouldn't have been able to get out. Might as well let him suffer alone a little longer. Instead, he returns to the bedroom to make the bed, but that's about all he's interested in at the moment. He'll save installing the hardware for later. For now, he could use a snack, so it's back to the kitchen to prepare himself a sandwich. Something quick and easy to prepare and to eat. As he sits down at the table, he happens a glance at the telephone sitting on the counter. He rolls his eyes. _Guess this_ _ **would**_ _be the best time to call the little Pipsqueak…_

Retrieving the phone, he dials home before kicking back at the table again. He waits through a couple of rings before a gruff, irritable voice picks up.

" _Sampson residence._ "

"God fucking dammit!" Terry grumbles, "Of course _you_ would pick up."

" _Oh, it's_ _ **you**_ _,_ " Tony snarls back, " _Watch your language, dammit._ "

"Fuck off," Terry snaps, "Just put Pipsqueak on, will ya? Mom says you two want me to talk to him."

" _Is_ _ **that**_ _what she told you?_ " Tony guffaws, " _That's bein' pretty damn generous. If it were up to_ _ **me**_ _, that boy would never hear from you ever again._ "

"But, clearly it's not," Terry says with a sneer, "Now put 'im on, will ya? I got more important shit to do with my day."

He hears the old man growl under his breath and mumble something under his breath akin to ' _fuckin'_ _ **fine**_ _. God dammit…_ ' before presumably stomping to Eddy's room. Eddy's gigantic, sick as fuck room. Little shit…He hears the brat's blubbering voice a moment later before the phone is handed over.

" _B-Bro?_ "

"Yeah, it's me," Terry retorts unenthusiastically, "Aint ya so excited?"

He can hear Eddy sniffling on the other end of the line, drawing him to cock his brow.

"Are you _crying?_ " he scoffs, "What the fuck? You really _are_ still a baby, aren't you?"

" _L-Lay off, Bro!_ " Eddy mumbles indignantly, still sniffling, " _Wh-What happened to that package you sent me?! It n-never came!_ "

"Oh yeah," Terry replies, "Mom mentioned that. Bad news, Pipsqueak. I checked with the post office, and it sounds like they've lost track of it. It could be anywhere and, unfortunately, it sounds like they might not even be able to deliver it."

" _Are you serious?!_ " Edd's voice starts to crack and break into further sobs, " _This is the worst_ _ **fucking**_ _week of my life!_ "

"Worst week of your life?" Terry scoffs, "What's so damn bad about it?"

Through shaking breaths, Eddy tries to explain.

" _W-Well, school started again and it's been fucking hell,_ " he whimpers, " _A-And your s-scam didn't work! Me and Ed got detention and…a-and then…_ "

He breaks down after that, wailing in agony. At least he has the fucking decency to hold the phone away so he doesn't scream Terry's ear off. Rolling his eyes, Terry decides to wait patiently for him to start talking again. When he finally calms down, he does indeed pick up where he left off.

" _And then…th-the worst thing happened the other day,_ " he hiccups, " _A-And it's a-a-all my_ _ **fault!**_ "

"Jesus, what the fuck did you _do?_ " Terry grumbles, choosing not to mention that their mother already shared that information as well.

" _I-It's_ _ **my**_ _fault Double D went home alone!_ " Eddy sobs, " _H-He wanted to wait but I t-told him to go home anyway! A-And that was the last time I saw him! I-It wouldn't have happened if I was with him! Double D's_ _ **gone**_ _and it's a-a-all my fault!_ "

He resorts to sobbing wildly again. Terry holds the phone away, rolling his eyes and groaning. Obnoxious little fuck. But at least he doesn't seem to suspect anything…With a grimace, he holds the phone back to his ear to speak again.

"Suck it up, Pipsqueak," he orders coldly, "Just go find yourself a new lackey if that other anklebiter's fucked off and ditched you."

" _It's not_ _ **like**_ _that, Bro!_ " Eddy insists through his sobs, " _Double D wasn't_ _ **just**_ _a lackey! He…He was my best friend and…and I just wish I could_ _ **tell**_ _him that…_ "

"Ugh," Terry groans, "Enough with the sentimental bullshit. You need to stop thinkin' about it, runt. Quit lettin' yourself get hung up over this brat and move on."

" _But…_ "

"Mopin' around like a little bitch won't solve anything anyway. The faster you can forget him and find yourself a new lackey, the faster you'll feel better."

Eddy's silent for a long while. If not for his little sniffles, Terry might assume they were disconnected. This is proven not to be the case, however, as he finally speaks again a moment later.

" _Thanks, Bro…_ " he mumbles softly, " _Y…You're probably right._ "

There's another pause, but this one feels less somber than the last. As though Eddy's attention were drawn away for the moment.

" _I gotta go,_ " he grumbles, " _Dad's tellin' me to get off the phone…_ "

"Sounds about right. The old fucker probably doesn't want you on the phone with _me_ too long."

" _Yeah…_ " Eddy agrees hesitantly, " _Well…anyway, thanks for calling, Bro. It's…nice to hear from you again. Um…D-Do you think you could…maybe call back more often…Please?_ "

"Eh…We'll see…" Terry replies, "I can't make any promises, I've got my own shit to worry about, y'know?"

" _Uh…right…_ " Eddy sounds disappointed by that, but seems to be trying to conceal it, " _Well, when you get the chance…I guess. Thanks again for calling, Bro. Talk to ya later…_ "

With that, he hangs up. Shrugging, Terry hangs up his own phone and sets it aside to better enjoy his snack. He must admit, he's sort of surprised that Eddy's been so deeply affected by Edd's 'disappearance'. He never got the impression that Eddy cared so much about Edd — at least not enough that losing him would reduce his brother to tears like that. He'd find it sort of sad if it weren't so pathetic.

Oh well. _He_ knows to appreciate what he's got. And right now, he's got his Princess. He's just gotta train him up a bit to make things perfect. In fact, after he's given the kid a little longer to stew, perhaps said training can really begin?

* * *

A few hours later, and after enjoying some beer and a little television, Terry finally returns to the bathroom, but not before stopping by the bedroom first. There, he grabs the bottle of lube and one of the smaller sized dildos. He might as well start him small, for now. When he does enter the bathroom, he finds Edd in the far corner, bundled up in a number of towels and shivering. The quivering form tenses up and freezes the moment Terry steps into the room, but he doesn't do much more past that. Too afraid to move right now. His eyes remain locked on the man as the door is closed and locked behind him. As Terry draws near, he notices that Edd has some tissues stuffed into his nose and there's some bruising around his lips and eyes.

Grimacing in disgust, Terry sets the toys down on the sink. Edd tries backing further away, pulling the towel around his shoulders up over his head and whimpering. Rolling his eyes, Terry decides to put him out of his mind for the moment. He's had to pee for a few fucking hours now. Sure, he probably could've just gone outside, but fuck that. He's not some _dog._ He hears Edd make a gagging noise behind him, but chooses to ignore it for now.

After flushing the toilet, he flips the lid down and turns back to Edd, who's trying to burrow deeper into the towel and shaking. With a growl, Terry snatches the towel from him and throws it away, along with the several others Edd's been using as a makeshift blanket, causing him to scream. The ones that he'd been sitting upon are stained with blood. Terry glares at the boy and grabs the back of his head by his hair.

"Look at this!" he roars, shoving the towel towards Edd to show what he means, "Now I gotta wash _these_ too!"

Edd doesn't respond, only whimpers in fear and tries to pull the man's hand off of him. Terry hurls the bloody towel away and yanks Edd up before shoving him onto the toilet. Squealing a bit in pain and fear, Edd tries to brace himself by gripping the rim of the bowl. When Terry lets go of his hair, he timidly peeks up at him, his brow furrowed. When he notices the sex toy and lubricant on the sink, his hands come up to haphazardly cover his face and he sobs. But of course, that's not the end of it.

Still shooting the boy a disgusted look, Terry kneels down in front of him. With a snarl, he grabs the boy's thighs and pries them apart to reveal his prize. The small penis remains flaccid for the time being, but he'll be sure to fix that momentarily. Edd's attention snaps to Terry and he lowers his hands slightly.

"Wh…What're you…doing?" he stutters, his voice a bit hoarse and weak.

Holding his legs apart, Terry leans in a bit before glaring up at Edd again.

"You're _mine,_ " he growls, licking his lips, " _This_ is mine. Now, just sit back and enjoy it, _Princess_ , cuz this is about as good as I'm gonna let you feel for a _while._ "

Edd doesn't have any time to process this before Terry wraps his lips around his cock. He catches the sound of Edd sucking in air through his teeth in a sharp gasp and the porcelain of the lid on the tank _clanking_ as he leans back in shock. His hands come down to push against the man's shoulders, but to no avail. After moving Edd's legs so that they're over his shoulders, Terry moves his hands to hold Edd by the waist. As he works his tongue and bobs his head, Edd starts moaning softly and tries to rock his hips, which proves difficult considering his seating arrangement. He drags his fingers up Terry's neck to bury them in the man's hair, unintentionally knocking his hat off.

"T…Terry…" he moans, his legs squeezing together a bit.

Terry looks up from sucking Edd off and ceases his ministrations to speak to him.

"How 'bout you start callin' me 'Daddy' instead?"

Edd pales a little at that and averts his gaze.

"S-Surely you can't be s-serious…?" he stutters, covering his mouth with one of his hands as his legs pull together shyly.

Terry cocks his brow, shooting him a cold look.

"I wanna _hear_ you call me 'Daddy'," he commands, "So that's what you're gonna do."

Shivering, Edd's eyes grow wide before he shamefully bows his head again to hide his blushing face.

He turns his head to the side and speaks as softly as possible; "Y…Y-Yes…D-Daddy…"

"What was that?" Terry snaps, redirecting Edd's attention back to himself.

Edd swallows thickly and then speaks up; "Y-Yes, Daddy…"

"That's more like it," Terry purrs, "Now, you keep calling me 'Daddy' while I suck you off, sweetheart."

After receiving a reluctant nod from his little captive, Terry returns his attention to fellating him. Edd quickly devolves into wanton moans, arching his back and rocking into Terry's mouth. With whatever articulate thought he can muster, he manages to whimper out the word 'daddy' amidst his moaning. Terry delights in each breathless moan, curling his tongue around the boy's cock. He keeps his hands on the plush hips, keeping him still. The little fingers digging into his hair and those sexy noises are driving him wild.

"T…Terry…" he glares up at the boy when he uses the wrong term, making him blush and stutter, "I-I mean…D-Daddy…I…I'm going to…"

 _Ahh…good._ Terry doesn't let up on his assault of Edd's cock, urging him closer and closer to his release. Edd brings one of his hands to his mouth to stifle his growing moans, but Terry chooses to ignore him for the time being. He can tell he's close, leading him to put more and more fervor into his efforts. Finally, Edd can't hold the moans back as his orgasm takes him, making him shudder and cry out in pleasure.

Pleased, Terry moves away again once Edd's body falls limp and relaxed. Lowering Edd's legs to straddle his waist, he holds himself up with his hands on either side of the toilet lid and leans into Edd's face.

"C'mere, Princess," he breathes, "Give Daddy a kiss."

Dazed, Edd hardly notices the uncomfortable terms and instead wraps his shaking hands around the man's neck. His eyelids droop before closing completely as he presses his lips to Terry's own. _Much better._ He slips his tongue past Edd's lips moving his hands back to the slender hips to hold him closer. Edd whimpers into the kiss, his fingers suddenly digging into Terry's shoulders and the fabric of his over shirt. It would seem he's coming to his senses again. Pulling away, Terry gives him a wicked grin.

"Alright, Princess," he purrs, rubbing circles into the boy's hips, "now it's your turn." He glances at his face. "And take that outta your nose."

Edd gazes up at him, his brow furrowed as he shakily removes the bloody tissue. Without explaining, Terry rises to his feet again. Uneasily, Edd watches him stand straight before going rigid in horror as Terry whips his cock out again.

"Time to return the favor, sweetheart," Terry snickers, stroking his half-hard cock.

Shivering, Edd shakes his head, his shoulders hunching as he presses himself back against the tank.

"S-Surely you jest!" he chokes, covering his mouth, "Th-That's so uns-sanitary!"

Terry grimaces; "I just did it for _you,_ didn't I?"

"Y-Yes, but—!" Edd looks away, his face burning when he notices that Terry's cock is at full erection, "Y-You just…You j-just…"

"So what?" Terry sneers back, "It aint any dirtier than what I just did for you."

Edd gives him a glare and looks like he wants to say something against that, but reconsiders it and bows his head with a grimace. As Edd crosses his arms over his chest in a show of defiance, Terry scoffs.

"Fine," he spits, stroking his cock, "In that case, I'll give ya a choice."

Edd glances back up at him, his brow cocked in his curiosity.

"Suck me off…" Terry begins before shifting his eyes towards the dildo and nodding towards it, "Or ride _that_ for me."

Following his gaze, Edd's breathing becomes heavy as what Terry can only imagine is panic takes him. He turns back to the man to give him a pleading look.

"N-No…" he stutters, the arms crossing his chest going limp to simply hug his arms, "Please…D-Don't make me…"

"Suck me off," Terry states more firmly, "or sit your ass down on that fuck stick."

Edd bows his head, gagging a bit in disgust as he tries to debate with himself the best option. As he does, Terry lazily strokes himself, enjoying the inner torment Edd's going through. Finally, Edd shuts his eyes tight and grits his teeth.

"I…I'll d-do the…f-former…" he stutters, bowing his head in shame.

"Be more specific, Princess," Terry nearly snickers, "Which one are you gonna do?"

Cringing, Edd shrinks in on himself.

"I…I'll s…" he swallows thickly, "I'll s-su…"

"Say it," Terry commands through his teeth.

Edd flinches, and takes a deep breath, covering his red face with his hands.

"I…I'll s-suck you o…o-off…" he forces.

"That's better," Terry chuckles, "Damn. You must _love_ the taste of my cock if _that's_ what you want."

Clearly fighting the urge to vomit, Edd doesn't comment on that.

"Alright, Princess," Terry begins sternly, "Get down on your knees. And open wide."

Whimpering, Edd follows the command, his eyes averted so he's not looking at the man's penis as he slides down off the toilet. After a couple of deep breaths and after closing his eyes in discomfort, he sits up on his knees and opens his mouth as wide as he can. Terry carefully slips his cock past Edd's lips, moaning softly at the warm, tender heat of his mouth. He rests his hands on the sides of Edd's head, holding him in place.

"Use your tongue," Terry commands through a moan, "And go nice and slow."

He hears Edd gag again, but he still forces himself to nod. Edd's hands rest on the man's thighs to steady himself. Per Terry's command, Edd shyly flicks his tongue against the head of his cock. Pleased, Terry closes his eyes, slowly and gently rocking his hips. The hot, wet heat is fuckin' perfection. As Edd seems to get more comfortable with the act, he begins to use his tongue a bit more; dragging it along the man's shaft and bobbing his head slowly. _Fuckin perfect._

When Terry reaches his climax, his grip on Edd's head and hair gets tighter and he pulls him against his pelvis. Edd gags, his hands slapping the man's thighs as his breathing is obstructed. _Too fuckin' bad._

"Fuckin' swallow it, you little slut," Terry snarls through his teeth.

Cringing, Edd makes a warbling noise. Thrusting into Edd's mouth and throat, Terry rides out his orgasm, moaning low and sucking in air through his teeth. Only after his body begins to relax does he remove his cock from Edd's throat and mouth. The boy starts coughing wildly and curls in on himself as he covers his mouth with both hands to stop himself from vomiting. Grimacing at him in disgust, Terry adjusts himself, slipping his cock back into his pants and zipping back up.

Without another word, he turns to the closet and opens it up. While Edd slowly recovers, he takes the time to remove every towel from the shelves and throw them to the floor. After unlocking the door, he then gathers them up and throws or kicks them out into the hallway. He closes the door again and glances back at Edd, finding him to be struggling to get back on his knees.

"M-May I… _p-please_ come back to the…b-bedroom with you…?" he stutters with a gulp before adding shyly, "D-Daddy?"

Terry scoffs; "Fuck no." He turns to him fully. " _You_ can spend the night in here and fuck _yourself, sweetheart._ "

Startled, Edd carefully rises to his feet; "B-But…"

"In fact," Terry begins, picking up the dildo, "I expect you to start using this."

"Wh…What…?"

"Oh yeah," Terry smirks, "I want you to spend the night fucking yourself on this."

Edd stumbles over his words, trying to protest.

"Here's the deal, _Princess,_ " Terry sneers, "I'll come back and check on you in the morning. If you've been practicing with this, I'll give you a nice treat. But if not, I'll have to punish you." His grin becomes more wicked. "Severely."

Throwing the dildo onto the floor at Edd's feet, Terry turns away again to leave. Before opening the door again, he shoots Edd a smirk over his shoulder.

"Goodnight, Princess," he coos. Turning to the door, he adds cooly. "And don't forget to use plenty of lube."

Chuckling, he slips back out of the bathroom and locks it up tight.


	14. Ch 13 - Lay Down the Edd

As Terry wakes the next morning, he finds himself feeling just as irritable as he was when he went to bed. Without his little Princess nestled in his arms, waking up is far less pleasant. The bed just feels so much colder without the delightfully warm body beside him. Rolling onto his back, he rubs his eyes. He doesn't want to get up. What's the point? He'll just be wasting time until he has to go back to sleep before his shift tomorrow. It's not like Edd will have actually been doing what he told him. And at this point, he won't be very willing to do anything else he tells him to. Why bother going to check on him?

Dragging his hand down his face, he's reminded of just how badly he needs a shave. _Guess there's that…_ With a groan, he rises to sit up. Shrugging off the sleep and the lack of motivation, he slides out of bed; cracking his neck and stretching. With a huff, he grabs his keys and leaves the bedroom. He doesn't bother with his robe or any other clothes. There's _definitely_ no point to that. However, he considers just ignoring Edd for a bit in favor of getting some breakfast. _Eh, fuck it…_ Might as well get it out of the way. Before opening the door, he grabs one of the towels he'd left in the hallway. If he's gonna waste time with Edd, then he's going to at least get a shower in as well.

When he enters the bathroom, he finds the little Princess huddled in the tub. Shivering, but still sleeping. The little body is curled up to fit in the small space, and though his arms are lax, they were once clearly wrapped tight around his middle in a pitiful attempt to stay warm. His features are relaxed with his lips slightly parted, but tears still linger on his cheeks.

The sight would be arousing if not for one small detail, which Terry spots beside the tub. The dildo is still laying on the floor where he'd left it yesterday, obviously untouched. Gritting his teeth, he throws the towel and his keys down and slams the door shut. Edd squeals as he's jolted from his slumber and as he sits up straight. When he notices Terry standing at the door, he immediately backs away, his eyes wide as he huddles into a corner. Stomping over to the boy, Terry snatches up the dildo and steps into the tub. With a snarl, he grabs Edd by his hair and shoves the toy into his cringing face.

"What the _fuck_ did I say?!" he demands.

Shaking his head and trying to pry Terry's hand off of him, Edd stutters out something unintelligible, so Terry gets more forceful.

"I told you to fuckin' _use_ this!"

Shivering, Edd squirms in Terry's grip, sobbing already.

"I-I _can't!_ " he insists, "It h-hu-hurts too much!"

As those words meet his ears, Terry sees red.

"You 'can't'?" he mocks, "It hurts?"

With a growl, he shoves Edd back as he releases him, making him hit his head against the wall. Throwing the dildo into the sink, he grabs the lube and yanks the curtain closed before turning on the water. Might as well get that shower in while he punishes the little Princess, after all. Yanking Edd to his feet, he turns him around so that his back is facing him.

"Put your hands on the wall," he orders.

"P-Please!"

"Did I fuckin' stutter?!" Terry roars back, smacking him sharply against the back of the head.

Edd screams, half in pain and half in terror, and slaps his hands against the wall in front of him. Giving a sharp nod, Terry coats his fingers in the lube before setting it in the soap holder in the wall. Leaning over the quivering boy, Terry covers one of Edd's hands with his own to support himself and poises the other near Edd's rectum. He doesn't penetrate him yet as he breathes into the boy's ear.

"I'll show you hurt."

Without another word, he shoves two of his fingers into Edd's ass, making the boy gasp and cry out in shock and pain. He removes his free hand from the wall to try to stop Terry's probing fingers. With a grimace, Terry twists those fingers, making Edd warble in agony.

"Keep your hands on the goddamn wall!"

Shaking, Edd reluctantly follows the command. He's unable to place his palm flat on the wall as his fingers curl instinctively into tight fists, but he at least keeps his hand still. Terry roughly stretches Edd out, but doesn't put too much effort into the task. He needs this to _hurt._ When he feels that Edd's been prepared enough, he grabs the bottle of lube again and releases Edd's hand. Edd doesn't dare move, though he can't stop his body from shivering. When Terry's lubed up his cock and stroked himself to full erection, he throws the bottle away and grabs Edd's hips to hoist him up a bit. That gets the boy talking again as he's pressed more forcefully against the wall.

"P-Please!" he gasps when the head of Terry's cock presses against his ass, "D-Don't! N-Not again! I-I can't!"

"I don't wanna hear it!" Terry snaps back, "I don't care if 'you can't'. You're gonna _take it, dammit!_ "

Guiding his cock past the tight ring of muscle, Terry doesn't focus for even a second on the pleasure. This doesn't even feel good for _him_ anymore. And, as far as he's concerned, it won't feel good again until Edd's willingly rocking back against his cock. Instead of that, however, Edd shrieks in agony, his fingers scrambling for purchase against the slick tiles.

"S-Stop!" he pleads, "I-It hurts!"

"Damn right it hurts!" Terry grunts, thrusting his hips against the tight heat, "And until you _fucking_ do what I say, it's only ever _going_ to hurt."

"T-Terry!" Edd sobs, "P-Please!"

Reflexively, Terry slaps the back of Edd's head again, knocking him forward so that his forehead hits the wall.

"What the fuck did I tell you before?!" he pulls Edd back to meet his thrusts, "You call me 'Daddy' from now on, dammit! Now, _say it!_ "

More pathetic sobs before Edd stutters back; "D-Daddy!"

"That's more like it," Terry sneers, pressing his nose against Edd's neck, "Say it again, Princess."

"D-Daddy…" Edd whimpers, grunting as the man's nails dig into his hips in time with his thrusts, "P-Please!"

Ignoring Edd's pleas, Terry instead focuses on his thrusts and reaching his orgasm. He doesn't try to pleasure Edd. Can't let him enjoy even a second of this. Standing straight, Terry gazes down at the boy's back and licks his lips. He may not want Edd to enjoy this, but, he must admit, he's beginning to. The soft skin beneath his fingers and stretching along the slender back is fuckin' beautiful. He only wishes this wasn't a punishment…He wants to look into Edd's eyes during this. He wants Edd's arms around his shoulders, holding him tight as he tries to meet the man's thrusts.

But he won't be getting that wish any time soon. Not until he's broken him a bit more. For now, he's just gotta focus on finishing this. At least the sight of his pretty Princess all helpless to him like this is a helluva turn on. As he nears his orgasm, he leans back to speak into Edd's ear.

"Who's yer Daddy, _Princess?_ " he pants, his tongue flicking out to trace the boy's earlobe.

He feels Edd cringe and hears the disgusted whimper, but he chooses to ignore that for now. When Edd doesn't immediately respond past that, however, he digs his nails harder into the plush skin of his hips. Edd whines in pain, his fingers curling into fists against the tiles.

"You gonna make me ask you again?!" Terry snarls through his teeth.

Edd sobs pitifully, pressing his forehead against the wall.

"Y-You are…" he whimpers.

"I'm _what?_ "

The boy whines again in disgust before wearily glancing back at him.

"Y-You're my D-D-Daddy," he stutters back, quivering.

"That's right," Terry chuckles, dragging his tongue over Edd's neck, "And you're my pretty little Princess."

Edd sobs, bowing his head low to try and avoid that claim.

"Don't go so quiet," Terry commands through his panting as he picks up his pace, "Keep talkin' to me, Princess. Keep callin' me 'Daddy'."

Whimpering, Edd forces himself to comply. With each warbling moan Edd manages, it spurs Terry closer to his release. _Now_ it's starting to feel good. As his climax takes him, his body goes rigid. He pulls Edd flush against his hips, preventing him from moving away for even a second. At the same time, he pushes his hips forward a bit so that Edd's leaning harder against the wall.

After his body begins to relax, he notices Edd's arms going lax as well. His toes are stretching towards the ground that he's barely able to reach, but his legs are quivering and don't look like they'd be able to hold him up even if he were to be set down on his feet again. As Terry's cock softens, he tests this by carefully pulling out of him. Edd whines softly, his body jolting in pain as Terry lowers him to his feet again. His knees give out and he falls like a rag doll to the floor of the tub.

Rolling his eyes, Terry turns away to finish his shower. He can still hear Edd's sobbing over the running water, but doesn't pay him much thought as he washes himself. When he's sufficiently clean, he turns the water off again and pulls the curtain open. He notices Edd flinch out of the corner of his eye, but he's still not moving from where he's curled up in the tub. Stepping out of the shower, Terry grabs his towel, letting his keys fall to the floor with a light _thud_ , and dries himself off. When he's dry enough, he wraps the towel around his waist and approaches the sink. After moving the dildo out of the way, he grabs his shaving cream and razor.

While he cleans himself up, he spots Edd in the mirror starting to move, but not much. He hears the boy's stomach give a loud, angry growl, which Edd is either embarrassed by or which causes him pain, because he sharply curls in on himself. It _has_ been a while since he fed the kid…It's no surprise that he'd be hungry right now. After a moment, he sees Edd pull himself up to lean his upper body against the edge of the tub. Still, it seems that that's the extent of his strength right now.

Only after Terry's rinsed away the remaining shaving cream does Edd finally speak up.

"P-Please…" he stutters, "M-May I p- _please_ eat?"

Terry scoffs as he pats his face with the dry side of the towel.

"Why the fuck should I do that?" he retorts, "I gave you a simple order, Princess, and you didn't do it."

"Please!" Edd begs, bowing his head, "P-Please feed me, D-Daddy!"

Ooh…Now _that's_ some good begging. Cocking his brow, Terry turns back to him as he wraps the towel around his waist again.

"Alright, fine," he relents, "You get yourself all cleaned up and I'll bring you somethin' to eat."

He moves to walk to the door, but is stopped by Edd feebly grabbing his leg.

"P-Please," he whimpers, "M-May I also have a towel to…t-to dry off with afterwards?"

Grimacing, Terry jerks his leg away.

"No." Edd deflates at that, but Terry refuses to give in, "If you want _that_ kind've luxury, you better start doin' what I tell you."

Without waiting for a response, he grabs his keys from the floor and storms out of the bathroom and locks it back up. Heading for the kitchen, he decides to make his own breakfast after he feeds Edd, so he doesn't worry about preparing much. He grabs a couple slices of bread and pops them into the toaster. While he waits, he grabs the butter. No jelly. Nothing more than butter on toast. It'll be enough to keep Edd from starving, but it'll still leave him hungry. Maybe even more malleable.

When the toast pops, Terry slaps a dollop of butter on each slice before grabbing a napkin. It's a waste of time to put them on a plate. Back to the bathroom, he hears the familiar groaning within the pipes that signifies running water, so it's no surprise that he finds the shower curtain pulled shut and the silhouette of his little Princess in the shower. Damn…He might have to put the brat's breakfast on hold a little longer so they can enjoy a second round…

That thought's abolished, however, when he shuts the door. The sound it makes causes Edd to freeze before he leans down to turn the water off. He peeks shyly out of the curtain to look at him. When he spots the food in his hands, he bows his head and pulls the curtain open, though he still tries to hide behind them a little. Afterwards, he slinks down to his knees, shivering as the cold air hits his wet, naked body. It summons a wicked grin to Terry's lips. Good. He doesn't even need to tell Edd what to do. With a smirk, Terry approaches him and kneels down beside the tub. Leaning with his elbow on the porcelain, he presents Edd with his meager meal. Edd pouts in disappointment at the sight of nothing but toast, and reluctantly reaches out to take one of the slices.

After taking his first bite, however, his eyes go wide and he goes very still. Terry observes him as he does nothing for a moment or two, merely stares at the food. Finally, Edd's brow knits together and his red eyes begin to well up with tears again. He swallows the bite in his mouth and releases a shaky breath. As he does, Terry believes he hears him mutter the name 'Ed' before the tears start falling again. Gritting his teeth, Terry sits up a bit straighter.

"If you're just gonna keep blubberin' like a little bitch, then I'll just take this back," he threatens, grabbing the boy's hand that's holding the toast, "And you'll have to wait even longer for food."

Eyes wide, Edd shakes his head and feebly wipes away his tears before shoveling the toast into his mouth. Taking a moment to swallow, he gingerly takes the second piece and gobbles that down as well. Toast crumbs sprinkle down over his chest and into the tub, sticking instantly to the boy's skin. When Edd swallows down the last bite, Terry rises to his feet again.

"Good boy."

Before anything else, he turns to the toilet to pee. He likely won't be coming back in here for a few hours so he best get this out of the way now. After relieving himself, he washes his hands and retrieves the dildo and the lube. He then drops them into the tub, where they _clatter_ to the floor near the drain, before turning back to the door.

"Now, you just stay in here and get back to practicing."

Edd releases a particularly forced sob; "P-Please…M-Must I _really_ do this?"

Looking back at the boy, Terry shoots him a disgusted look.

"You will if you want to eat again," he warns, "Or if you ever wanna feel warm again. Or if you ever wanna get out of this _fucking_ bathroom again!"

Edd flinches, instinctively shielding himself as though Terry were about to hit him. Taking a deep breath, Terry composes himself again.

"If you don't learn to use that dildo," he begins carefully, drawing Edd to look up at him again, "I'm going to make things even _more_ uncomfortable for you. And I know you don't want that."

Quivering, Edd nods.

"Y…Yes sir…" he mumbles.

Satisfied, Terry leaves him alone again to get dressed.

With that taken care of, and after a modest breakfast, he decides to install the metal ring in the bedroom. Once Edd starts following his orders better, he'll tie him down to it, but for now, he can at least make sure it'll hold. To test this, he slips the leather loop of the leash through the metal ring and pulls the rest of the leash through that loop, creating a simple, yet effective knot. Wrapping the clasp-end of the leash around his hand a couple of times, he then pulls with all his might. He's pleased to find that the ring holds well. Perfect, but he's not done yet.

His next issue to tackle is how he'll attach Edd to this mock-post. He has the collar to attach the leash to, but the clasp is too easy for Edd to remove. For that matter, with enough patience, Edd could also remove the collar without much trouble. But that's where the miniature padlocks come into play. It takes a bit of trial and error, but he finally finds the solution that will firmly lock Edd into place. Instead of using the clasp on the leash, Terry instead takes the ring that the leather is secured to and attaches it to the ring on the collar with the mini padlock. Without the key, Edd can't remove the leash, but there's still the collar to deal with. Much like the leash, however, this is a simple fix with a second padlock. The metal shackle is thin enough that it can just barely fit through the notches, so he fits the lock around metal frame of the clasp. The center pin is easy enough for the shackle to rest on top of, further locking it into place.

Once he's figured out the most effective way to secure the leash and collar, he removes the padlocks and marks them and their assigned keys. With all of the keys he has to keep track of just for Edd, he decides to gather them together onto a key ring. One for the bedroom, one for the bathroom, and now the two for the leash and collar. Who knew training his little Princess would be _this_ much of a hassle…?

Speaking of training, he spends a little more time back on his book and finds an upsetting detail. He'd forgotten that punishments were discouraged, not just because they were 'inhumane', but also because they were typically ineffective. However, the specific _way_ they're ineffective is the important detail he needs to bear in mind. While punishment will act as a deterrent against behavior the pet must avoid, it can also have the unintentional effect of making them avoid behavior the owner desires.

Fuck…

Long story short; he can't keep using sex as a punishment the way he did earlier in the bathroom. Edd's already doing everything he can to avoid using the dildo. Whether it's actually out of pain or because the very notion of punishment is making sex undesirable, Edd's acquiring an aversion to sex. Dammit! God _fucking_ dammit! He might've unintentionally set himself back this morning. He half expects his little fantasy Edd to appear to chastise him for losing his temper again. Thankfully, it would seem he's going to leave him alone. Maybe because he's already come to the conclusion he would've been scolded into discovering? Either way, this is definitely a setback.

This really is going to be more difficult than he expected.

* * *

The rest of the day passes without incident. He chooses to avoid the bathroom as much as he can, only checking in every now and then when he needs to pee. No surprise; Edd's not making a lot of progress, but he's putting in more of an effort than Terry expected. For starters, he's at least picked the toy up and has clearly been inspecting it. Pleased, Terry merely reminds him that he better get to work on actually _using_ it before leaving again.

The only other time he returns to the bathroom to confront Edd is to present him with a light dinner consisting of a single peanut butter sandwich in exchange for a few timid kisses. Edd obliges him well, to the point that Terry is able to more easily forgive his slow progress with the dildo. He's got it lubed up and the remnants of the cold gel on his fingers and backside indicate that he seems to be putting in the effort to actually use it. It's a start.

As the day comes to an end, he returns to the bedroom alone again. Fucking bullshit. Maybe he should just bring Edd back to bed. Just for the night? Snuggling under the covers with a much more obedient little Princess…Nuzzling that soft, sweet skin…Kissing those pretty, pink lips…The thought is so tantalizing. So arousing to even think about. His fingers twitch in earnest to grab his keys to go retrieve his damsel.

But he doesn't. As bad as he wants it, he decides it's best to wait. He has to get some sleep in before work, anyway. However…He spots the boy's discarded hat across the room. Brow cocked, he approaches it and bends over to pick it up. Licking his lips, he holds the fabric over his nose and takes a long, deep breath. The scent of a fragrant shampoo overpowering a mild hint of sweat and pencil shavings. Definitely a scent he can only associate with his little Princess. He exhales shakily, overcome with desire.

This'll do…

With a smirk, Terry returns to the bed and strips out of his clothes. As he reclines on the bed, he holds the boy's hat to his face, curling his fingers into the fabric so that it bunches up against his nose. Closing his eyes, he uses his free hand to stroke his cock, imagining Edd's dainty little hand instead. He'd be way more uncertain in his movements, of course. More shy and maybe even a little embarrassed. Gazing at him with those gorgeous, green eyes and waiting to be told that he's doing it right. Or rather, that's what he'd _like_ to see. No, his timid little Princess would be shy and uncertain, but he'd be looking fuckin' _anywhere_ else. But that's okay. It's the touch of his little darling that he wants most. His breathing gets heavy as he quickens his pace. Licking his lips as he imagines Edd leaning forward to give is cock a tentative lick. He presses the fabric of the hat against his face as he cums, breathing deeply as though the scent might fade any second.

As he comes down from his high, he finally moves the hat away to gaze down at it. He can only imagine the reaction Edd would have when he discovers that Terry had used his precious headwear to masturbate. For that matter, he _does_ still have a mess to clean up. But if he uses the hat, he won't have the delicious scent of his little Princess. Hmm…Quite the conundrum.

Nah…He reaches over and grabs a couple of tissues from the nightstand to clean himself up. For tonight, he'll leave the hat clean. At the very least, it'll simulate his little Princess lying beside him. Once that smell fades, he'll throw out all fucks and start using it like the sock it looks like.

With a content sigh, he tosses the tissue away and pulls the covers over himself. After setting his alarm to wake himself up for work, he settles in to sleep. Burying his face into the soft, black cloth, he closes his eyes again to more easily picture his little darling beside him as he drifts off.


	15. Ch 14 - Go With the Bro

10:30 a.m. After shutting off his alarm, Terry drags himself out of bed and begins his day by heading to the bathroom. He doesn't pay Edd much attention at first so he can relieve himself, but he does notice that the kid's started to wake up. As he washes his hands and inspects his jaw to determine whether or not to shave, he spots the boy crawling out of the tub and sitting on the edge. He's shivering terribly and is trying to hug his arms to still his shaking body. _Must be damn cold._ Finally, Edd breaks the silence.

"Daddy…? M-May I…" he mumbles, his teeth chattering, "M-May I p-p- _please_ go back to the bedroom?"

Turning to Edd fully, Terry's eyes shift to the dildo still sitting in the tub. Furrowing his brow, Edd follows his gaze until he spots the toy and he cringes.

"I-I'm _trying_ ," he whimpers, "I-It _hurts_." He looks back up at the man, looking as pitiful as possible. "P- _Please_ , Daddy!"

Brow cocked, Terry searches the tub with his eyes, looking for any sign of the lubricant. He does spot it a moment later, sitting in the soap holder, but he questions whether or not it's actually been used since yesterday. With a grimace, Terry crosses his arms over his chest.

"Prove it," he grumbles. Edd looks confused by that, so he continues. "Show me you've been 'trying'."

Tensing up, Edd glances back at the toy as though he expects it to attack him. He swallows thickly and hunches his shoulders.

"I…I… _can't_ …" he replies, "I-It hurts too much."

 _Bullshit._ Gritting his teeth, Terry grabs the boy by the arm and yanks him to his feet. Edd whines in protest, trying to pry the man's hand off of him.

"What the fuck is it gonna take for you to do what I _fuckin'_ tell you?" Terry growls, pulling him towards him.

"P-Please!" Edd sobs, "I-I really _am_ trying!"

"Bullshit!"

Flipping the lid of the toilet down, Terry takes a seat and pulls Edd across his lap onto his stomach. Edd flounders in an attempt to brace himself, but Terry stops that by gathering up his wrists and holding them with one hand against the boy's back. With his other hand, he caresses the boy's backside, which is now very exposed to him.

"Wh-What are you doing?!" Edd gasps, his shoulders wriggling as he tries to jerk his arms free.

"You've been a naughty boy," Terry mutters, squeezing and rubbing the soft flesh as he speaks, "And I'm gonna punish you the way my old man used to punish me. Same way _most_ folks like to punish their little brats who don't listen."

"P-Please!" Edd whines, "I-I really _am—_ "

"I don't wanna hear anymore lies outta you," Terry snaps back, squeezing Edd's wrists tightly to make him whine again in pain, "You ain't been doing _shit!_ And that's the problem. All you're doing is stalling."

"I can't…" Edd sniffles, "I-I just can't…It hurts…a-and it's…e-embarrassing."

"Oh, it hurts?" Terry scoffs, "It's 'embarrassing'? That's gonna look _tame_ compared to what I'm about to do to you."

Ignoring Edd as he stutters out a plea to wait, to stop, to 'dear lord no!', he rears his hand back and brings it down sharply across Edd's bare ass. He grimaces against the shriek that it earns, but doesn't let that stop him from spanking the boy over and over again. He does his best to make sure each strike is roughly the same force as the last, but he refuses to let up. The sight of the boy's skin turning a rosy shade of red that darkens more and more with each smack is delightful as fuck. Much better than the alternative of beating that pretty face in. Besides, this kinda pain should get the kid to start cooperating at least a _little_ bit.

When he believes that the message has sunk in enough, he finally releases Edd's wrists. His backside is beet red and probably burns like hell and he's crying as he shakily stands up again. After a moment, he glances up at Terry as he tries to wipe away his tears. Regarding Edd with a sneer, he grabs the slender wrist and pulls him closer to grab his chin.

"See now?" he mocks, "Wasn't that so much worse than fucking yourself on that little toy?"

Trying to stifle his hiccups, Edd closes his eyes and forces himself to nod. Satisfied with that answer, Terry releases the boy's wrist and chin and slides his hands down his arms to instead grab his little hands.

"So, are you gonna do what I tell you?"

Bowing his head, Edd nods again; "Y…Yes, sir…"

"You better," Terry warns, "I don't wanna keep hurting you, but I will if you keep this stubborn bullshit up. Do you understand?"

Edd finally looks up at him, nodding yet again.

"Good," Terry mumbles, looking him up and down. After a moment, he grins. "Now, give Daddy a kiss, Princess."

With a tiny whimper, Edd hesitates only a moment before leaning in to oblige. Those tasty lips against his own draw an immediate moan from him as he cups the boy's jaw and holds him still. As his eyes drift closed, he feels Edd's hand gently touch his own. A tiny moan escapes him as Terry's tongue slips past his lips. _Good reaction…_ After a few moments, he moves away, leaving Edd to shiver a bit. Smirking, he drags his thumb over the pouting, pink lip.

"Now, don't that feel good?" he purrs, "Don't you like that?"

Edd shifts uncomfortably in front of him before shrugging, "Y-Yes…"

"That's right," Terry chuckles, "And I wanna keep makin' you feel that good, sweetheart." He trails his hands down to caress Edd's hips. "I wanna treat you like the Princess you are. So if you wanna keep feelin' good like that, then you gotta give me what I want."

"Yes Te…" Edd bites his lip and hunches his shoulders, "Yes D-Daddy…"

"Good boy." Rising to his feet, Terry pulls him aside and out of his way. "I'll be back in a few hours."

"Wh…Where are you going?" Edd asks softly, his brow furrowed.

"I gotta work, Princess."

"Work…?" Edd follows him as Terry walks to the door, "H-How long do you have to work?"

"Depends," Terry retorts, "I'll probably be stuck there late as hell, but I'll come back on my lunch break to give you somethin' to eat. And while I'm gone, you're gonna keep working on using that fuckin' dildo."

"Please…" Edd whimpers, feebly grabbing the man's wrist, "M-May I _please_ go back to the bedroom? I-I'm so c-c-cold. M-May I please just lie down until you return for lunch? Th-Then I'll use the toy!"

"Nice try, Princess," Terry scoffs back, "You're gonna stay in here till I decide you've learned your lesson. And since you keep stalling, I'm guessing the lesson aint sunk in yet."

"N-No! Please!" Edd sobs, pressing his forehead to Terry's arm, "P-Please let me out of here! I-I'll do anything!"

Pushing Edd off of him, Terry shoots him a wicked grin.

"Then you better get to work, huh?"

With that, he exits the bathroom, locking Edd in and cutting off the wailing sob that his answer and his actions earn him.

After getting dressed, he has just enough time to head out to the park a little before noon. He hits up one of the food stands and gets himself a hotdog. Thank god he gets free meals when he works. Sure, he's gotta fend for his own damn self on his days off, but it's a nice compensation that he can snag a free lunch or dinner. At least he doesn't have to worry about food while he waits for his next paycheck. He tries to avoid talking to his coworkers as he gets to work. Doing a quick test run of the ride he's stationed at, he lights a cigarette and waits for the snot-nosed brats to start lining up. He can already hear them at the ticket booth, screaming to get in and laughing like little drunks. Fuck, he can feel the headache creeping up on him already.

And lo, here they come. Running around the park and shrieking like they're being murdered. They begin lining up for his ride and he reluctantly does his routinely walkthrough of checking each of their harnesses and securing the empty seats. That'll change as the day passes and as more kids and their folks show up, but for now he's gotta make sure the seat belts and shit don't go flopping around to smack one of these walking lawsuits in the face. When about half the ride is full and no other kids are waiting, he starts up the ride and leans against the control panel for the first of what will be _many_ times.

* * *

The day passes slow as _fuck_ , but Paul finally saunters over to relieve him for his lunch break. _Thank fucking god_ …After tagging out, he heads over to the nearest food stand. He curses his shit luck when he spots Dave at the counter. Ignoring the line, he walks to the side window to address the scrawny motherfucker.

"Hey, asshole!" he shouts over the sound of sizzling and steam.

He notices one of the mothers in line covering her child's ears, but chooses not to comment on that. Dave glances up at him before shooting him a shit-eating grin.

"Hey! If it aint Martha Stewart!" he calls with a laugh, "Ya'll done with yer redecorating?"

"Fuck off," Terry snarls back. Again, the woman covering her kid's ears looks appalled. "I'm fuckin' starving. You gonna get me my lunch?"

And that's the bitch's cue to leave, muttering something about how they'll get food at a less 'vulgar' location. _Like I give a shit_ …Dave rolls his eyes.

"Yeah yeah, what'dya want?"

Terry leans against the window; "Gimme a burger with everything and some fries — hold the cheese — and…"

He pauses, thinking about what he can bring Edd. It'll be a while before he gets back after this break. Even though he doesn't wanna give Edd _much_ , he's gotta make sure he doesn't go _too_ hungry…

"Gimme a hotdog, too," he adds, "One of them small ones."

Dave scoffs as he throws a burger patty onto the grill; "What? Are you eatin' for two all of a sudden?'

"Very funny asshole," Terry retorts.

"Nah, but seriously, you know bitches like 'em _without_ the extra pounds, right? Don'tcha think you should be watchin' yer figure?"

"Why should I do that?" Terry sneers back, "Only thing I need to be watchin' is your sister's head bobbin' up and down over my dick."

Dave scoffs again, not skipping a beat; "You keep eatin' like this, you ain't even gonna be able to see _that_ for much longer."

Gritting his teeth, Terry decides to drop the matter there. He'll probably have to deal with that bullshit long after this, and, really, the more time he has to waste with this piece of shit, the less time he can spend with his little Princess.

Finally, his food is prepared and Dave brings it to the window.

"Ya got a bag?" Terry asks, glancing around the counter.

"Why?" Dave asks, cocking his brow, "You ain't gonna just guzzle it down right here?"

He chooses to ignore that; "No. I'm goin' back to my trailer for lunch."

"That sounds like a waste of time…" Dave notes under his breath, retrieving a bag for him and filling it up with the food.

"Fuck you," Terry snaps, grabbing the bag once it's full.

"You're welcome," Dave calls after him, "Enjoy~!"

Rolling his eyes, Terry storms off to his trailer. After locking the front door to make sure no one can slip in for whatever reason, he heads straight for the bathroom. When he walks in, he finds Edd in the bathtub, huddled up and shivering. The dildo is beside him and looks to have the lubricant spread over it. _That's promising._

"Get outta the tub," Terry commands as he locks the door behind him.

He makes a bee line for the toilet and sets the food down on the edge of the sink as Edd shakily obliges. Taking a moment to relieve himself, he glances at the boy over his shoulder as Edd curls up on the floor beside the tub. Clearly he's too cold to stand up straight. _Goddammit_ …

"You're usin' the lube, right?"

"Y-Yes…" Edd's tiny voice answers.

"Good."

When he's finished, he flushes the toilet and flips the lid down before washing his hands. Grabbing the bag, he sits down on the seat and beckons Edd towards him.

"C'mere, darlin'," he orders softly.

Giving him a weary look, Edd reluctantly unfurls himself and crawls over to him. He stops at his feet, waiting for his next command. _Now we're gettin' somewhere_ …With a grin, he motions for Edd to come closer. He receives a pout in response, but Edd still sits up straight and pushes himself to stand up. As expected, he's very wobbly on his feet, which ends up working in the man's favor as he leans against him for stability. Holding the bag with a few fingers and his palm, he carefully maneuvers Edd so that he's sitting in his lap. To his delight, Edd doesn't fight this and instead leans into his arms, his shivering body seeking his warmth. _I'll take it_. With his free hand, he tilts Edd's chin upwards to look at him and urges him to lean up into a kiss. Again, he doesn't fight back, only moans softly against the man's lips. Terry pulls away a moment later, licking his lips and grinning down at him.

"Very good," he purrs, "Now, I bet you're hungry, ain't ya?"

Edd nods, laying his head on the man's shoulder.

"Well then, we should eat, shouldn't we?"

As he opens the bag, he does consider making Edd do something sexual for him in exchange for the food, but thanks to Dave taking his sweet ass time with their lunch, he doesn't really have time for that. Instead, he decides to just get on with their meal. Besides, Edd's not tried to move away from him yet. Even after he's given his hotdog, he doesn't slip off of his lap. _Anything to be warm again? Fine with me_. While they eat, Terry keeps one arm wrapped around his little darling, holding him close. It certainly doesn't take long for him to finish his own meal, but Edd takes his time, taking the smallest bites he can and eating as slow as possible. Savoring the first _real_ meal he's had lately.

Finally, he pops the last of the hotdog into his mouth and chews slowly as he leans against Terry's chest, humming softly and trying to burrow into his arms. _Dammit_ …He wishes he didn't have to fuckin' leave again. With a sigh, Terry slips his plaid shirt off before draping it over Edd's shoulders. Startled, Edd glances up at him, eyes wide. Terry shoots him a wink before leaning in to press a kiss to his forehead.

"A little reward for being such a good boy for my break," he breathes, "I'll let you have this to stay warm."

Edd's shoulders fall, but not in any form of disappointment. He smiles a bit, his brow furrowed as he leans back into the man's chest.

"What do you say, Princess?" Terry teases.

"Thank you, Daddy…" Edd mumbles back, nuzzling his chest.

"Good boy," Terry sighs as he places his hands on Edd's shoulders, "Alright, I've gotta go back."

"No…" Edd whimpers, clinging to him, "J-Just a little longer?"

"As bad as I want that," Terry chuckles, carefully pushing him away, "I've still got shit to do."

Bowing his head, Edd rises to his feet and slips his arms into the sleeves of the plaid shirt. It swallows him up, making him look even smaller and more delicate than before and Terry grits his teeth to fight back his desire. He instead focuses on the boy's face as he grabs his little hands.

"I'll be home late, Princess," he informs him, "And in the meantime, what are you going to do?"

With a sigh, Edd turns his head a bit, gazing at the dildo in the tub.

"I-I'll…p-p-practice with… _that_ …"

Terry turns Edd's face back so that the boy's looking at him again; "That's right. Now, give Daddy one last kiss before I go."

Edd whines a little in discomfort, but leans in to place a quick peck to the man's lips. Pleased, Terry lets his hands go and rises to his feet. Keeping his head bowed, Edd steps aside to let him pass, pulling the collar up further over his neck and ears. Terry takes the empty food bag and heads for the door.

"Be good for me, Princess," he warns playfully as he lingers at the door, "I'll bring you dinner when I come home tonight and maybe a little treat if you've been using your toy."

"Y-Yes Daddy…" Edd mumbles back, fiddling with the cuffs on the sleeves

With that, Terry slips back out of the bathroom. After a quick stop at his room to grab another overshirt to wear (so as not to arouse any possible suspicions), he throws the bag away and heads back out to the park.

* * *

The rest of his day passes by about as slowly as the beginning. More screaming brats and obnoxious coworkers. Doesn't help that he still has that image of his little darling wearing his shirt and cuddling as close to him as he fucking can. Fuck if that break didn't leave him pent the hell up. The varying degrees of annoying mothers and shit-faced kids are enough to help keep his boner at bay, but when he has a moment to let his mind wander back to his lovely little captive, he finds maintaining his composure to be much, much harder a feat.

As the park finally shuts down, he heads over to one of the food stands that sells seafood snacks and picks up a medium-sized bucket of popcorn shrimp. Should be enough in it to share with Edd rather than get anymore food. Reaching his trailer, he locks the door behind him and leaves the shrimp on the table. First thing's first, he's gotta get in a shower and a round of sex.

When he enters the bathroom with a towel, he's pleasantly surprised to find Edd on the floor, his little legs spread and his knees up. The dildo is in one hand laying limp at his side while his other hand rests on his heaving chest and he can see remnants of the lube on his hands and along his thighs and taint. The bottle, he notes, is lying discarded behind him closer to the tub. The plaid shirt is folded and bunched up under his head like a pillow of sorts and his expression is pained and exhausted. Grinning wickedly, Terry slams the door shut and locks it behind him, startling the boy from his reverie. He bolts upright, gasping softly before cringing and drawing his knees inward. His face burns a deep red in shame as looks anywhere but up.

"Well, well," Terry purrs, peeling his overshirt off and letting it fall to the floor, "Now _this_ is a sight I wanna see when I get home."

Whimpering, Edd covers his mouth with the back of his hand, trying to stifle his embarrassed sobbing as he curls in on himself in a pitiful attempt to cover his genitals.

"Don't look so upset, sweetheart," Terry coos as he undresses, "You're doin' real good. So I'm gonna give you somethin' good back."

Edd gives him an uncertain look and opens his mouth to speak. However, after a moment, he closes it again and looks away as he leans against the tub. Terry grimaces a bit at the dour response as he kicks off his shoes.

"Get the water goin', will ya?" he orders.

After a little sigh, Edd obliges, pulling the curtain mostly shut and turning on the water. He keeps his head bowed as he holds his hand beneath the water to test the temperature and doesn't say anything as Terry finishes undressing and approaches the tub, grabbing the bottle of lube on his way.

"Get in."

Shoulders lax, the boy pushes the curtain aside a bit and slips into the tub while Terry takes over control of the water's temperature. When he deems it to be warm enough, but not scalding, he pulls the tap to switch the pressure from the faucet to the shower head and joins Edd in the tub. In response, Edd holds his arms and tries to turn away from him, exposing his back and bruised hips. Brow cocked, Terry sets the lube aside and grabs his arm to turn Edd towards him.

"You like to be clean, right, Princess?" he asks, perhaps a bit more harshly than he would've liked.

Edd shrugs before giving a tentative nod.

"Course ya do," Terry mumbles, leaning over him and grabbing the bar of soap, "Well, why don'tcha clean _me_ for a change?"

Edd tenses up a bit, startled by this suggestion and lowers his gaze to the soap. Terry shoves the bar into his hand before tracing along the boy's wrist to his shoulder.

"C'mon, Princess," he coos, urging Edd to step closer to him, "I bet you'd do a _real_ good job."

Reluctantly, Edd takes a deep breath before timidly pressing the bar of soap against Terry's chest. He begins gently scrubbing in little circles, keeping his eyes locked on his own hands. God _dammit_ those little fingers grazing his skin feels fuckin' _heavenly_. As he works, Terry rewards him by rubbing similar circles into the boy's hips. The positive response seems to be effective in making Edd a bit more confident in his movements, but he doesn't stray to far from Terry's torso. Whatever. It's not like he expected much more, but it's a good start at least.

When Edd's clearly too uncomfortable to continue, Terry cups Edd's jaw to make him look up at him. Leaning down, he pulls Edd into a kiss, slipping his tongue past the boy's lips. With a tiny whimper, Edd drops the bar of soap to place his shaking hands over Terry's wrists. Moaning, Terry moves his hands down to rub up and down Edd's hips before groping his backside. Edd cries out in surprise and instinctively presses his body against Terry's in an attempt to avoid the squeezing fingers. Terry pulls away from the kiss to speak into Edd's ear.

"I'm gonna make you feel good, Princess," he breathes, grabbing the bottle of lubricant.

Edd glances down at the bottle as Terry pops it open and spreads a generous amount of the substance over his fingers. As the bottle is set aside again, he winces and takes a step back straight into the wall. Pressing himself against the slick tiles, he feebly shakes his head.

"N-No…" he whimpers, "P-Please…Not that."

"C'mon, darlin'," Terry teases, cornering the boy against the wall, "Don't tell me this don't feel good for you yet."

"N-No, it doesn't!" Edd cries back, covering his face with his hands, "It hurts! Don't to this to me again!"

"Aww," Terry mocks, grabbing Edd's wrist with his clean hand, "Now don't be that way. I'll make it feel good this time."

Edd keeps shaking his head, sobbing softly as he's turned to face the wall.

"Don't worry, Princess," Terry assures him, "I just gotta get you ready for the main event."

Holding Edd's shoulder with one hand, he starts carefully stretching him out with the other. The boy whines and grunts in painful protest, trying to move away.

"P-Please stop!" he sobs.

"Shh…" Terry breathes, leaning in to kiss the back of Edd's neck, "Just relax. It'll feel good soon."

When Edd only continues to cry, Terry moves his hand from the boy's shoulder to drag down his chest, then further still to wrap around the small, flaccid cock. The little sobs and whimpers are interrupted as Edd sucks in a gasp. Reaching down, he tries to stop Terry from stroking his cock, but to no avail.

It's not much longer before he's got Edd moaning and digging his nails into Terry's wrist in pleasure. _That should be more than enough_. Terry steps back, releasing Edd so that he can spread the lube over his hardened cock. Glancing back at him with his brow furrowed, Edd catches the man's erection and pales, turning back around in shock as though he's just now remembered where this is going. Chuckling softly, Terry leans down and places his hands on Edd's hips.

"Arms around me, Princess," he commands, adding a quick peck to Edd's lips, "And hold on tight."

Cringing a bit, Edd obliges, wrapping his arms around the man's neck. Terry hooks his hands under Edd's legs and hoists him up. Pressing him against the wall, he wraps Edd's legs around his waist and pulls his hips flush against his own. He grins at the low moan that earns him and begins sucking a new mark into the boy's neck. The slender legs squeeze his hips as sultry moans slip from Edd's lips. The boy's still hard, so the time is more than right. Distracting Edd with kisses to his neck and lips, he carefully eases his cock past the tight ring of muscle.

Edd groans mostly in pain, but with a hint of pleasure below the surface. Terry allows him a moment to get used to the sensation before he starts rocking his hips. Gotta take his time and go slow. After all, the better he can make it feel, the more likely Edd will start to create a positive association with sex, which will be so much better for him in the long run. With that in mind, he reaches between them with his free hand and continues to stroke Edd's cock. The boy's nails dig into his neck and shoulders as he's overcome with pleasure he can't hope to handle. The tiny pinpricks are irritating for sure, but more than acceptable if it means that the kid is getting used to this. He relishes the moans that he's drawing out of Edd, which are getting louder and louder. It's a damn good thing he soundproofed this room. There's no question that, if he hadn't, any wandering passerby would hear him.

It doesn't take much time for young Edd to reach his orgasm. His little legs squeeze Terry's hips again as his moans hit their highpoint. As he climaxes, his ass clamps down on the man's cock, drawing a long, deep moan from Terry as he holds the boy flush against himself. As the white lights behind his eyelids fades, he starts to notice Edd's grip around his neck slipping. Shaking his head to a bit to wake himself up, he carefully pulls his cock out of Edd and eases him to the floor of the tub. As expected, Edd collapses like a rag doll, his chest heaving as he tries to choke down all the air he can gather. He manages to sit mostly upright, though, and leans against the back wall of the tub, gazing up at the man. Terry smirks his way.

"Told ya I'd make ya feel good."

Edd sighs, his head bowing weakly. Taking that as a sign, Terry turns the water off and pulls open the curtain. He wraps the towel around his waist and excuses himself to retrieve their dinner. He even brings in a second towel for Edd when he returns, which the boy burrows into without hesitation. Now that he's warm and mostly dry, he finds Edd willing to snuggle into his lap while they eat. It's a damn pretty sight. Finally, his work is starting to pay off. But he can't go overboard with the rewards. Dinner, a towel to dry off with, and his plaid shirt are about as much as he can provide right now. Eventually, he'll be able to bring Edd back to the bedroom, but for now, he's gotta keep him here. Make sure that Edd will without question do what he wants, including the more intense commands like using the dildo.

The bucket is empty soon enough and Edd curls up in his lap, sighing softly as sleep threatens to take him. With great reluctance, Terry tries to push him off, but Edd tries to cling to him.

"P-Please," he whispers, his voice hoarse, "L-Let me sleep in a real bed again. I beg of you!"

"Not yet, Princess," Terry sighs, carefully moving the boy off of his lap, "Just keep using that toy and I'll bring you back to the bedroom soon enough."

Edd deflates at that, curling up on the floor.

"May I keep the towel…?"

"Yeah, yeah," Terry shrugs, grabbing up the bucket, "Keep the towel, keep the shirt. And get some sleep if you want, but I expect you to keep practicing. Got it?"

"Yes, sir…"

Edd's voice fades away a bit and it's only after Terry glances back does he notice that the boy has already fallen asleep. Cocking his brow, he grabs the plaid shirt he'd given him before and drapes it over the shivering upper body. Reluctantly, he leaves the boy to sleep on the floor as he gathers up his dirty clothes and as he exits the bathroom, locking it back up. He does consider bringing him back with him. Fuck his training. He wants to wake up with his Princess again. But he has a feeling if he shows too much generosity, Edd really _will_ regress and start disobeying him again. No. He's gotta make absolutely _sure_ the kid becomes one hundred percent obedient to him before giving him more freedoms and better rewards.

Therefore, he skulks through the hall, dropping his clothes off in a hamper as he returns to the bedroom to sleep and begin the whole process again tomorrow.


	16. Ch 15 - Happy as a Bro

And so begins a rather tedious week. As the days pass, Terry finds himself falling into a pretty simple routine. He begins his day by heading straight to the bathroom to check in on Edd. Typically, he finds that the boy hasn't been doing what he asked or that he's made little to no progress. He gets the usual excuses. _It hurts too much. I was too tired. I'm too cold._ As much as he wants to stop — to just let him off the hook and abandon his attempts to train the kid to use the toy — he knows he can't. Despite Edd's inability to actually do much with it, he _has_ been acting more obedient towards him. He bends to Terry's will when the man's present and gives him what he wants when asked. However, if Terry were to ease up and forgive this one thing, all of _that_ progress may reset.

And he can't have that.

So, when he comes into the bathroom every morning to find that Edd's not been doing what he asked, he pulls the boy over his lap and spanks him. He doesn't go overboard. Not enough time for that. Just enough to drive the message home without hurting him too much.

During his lunch breaks, he heads back to his trailer with his meal and a little something extra for Edd. And, of course, he gets an earful from whoever's working the food stand. As if he didn't hear enough fat jokes from those fuckers…But whatever. As obnoxious as it is, that's not what's important. What _is_ important is that he manages to get home with enough time to spare that he can start sharing his lunch with Edd in exchange for having the kid blow him again. Edd's reluctant, but his hunger proves to be a powerful motivation. And, of course, it's more than enough to take Terry's mind off of his dickhole coworkers. But, when that's all said and done, it's back to work, leaving Edd alone again with his lunch and a warning to use the toy.

When his shift finally ends and he can head home, he makes a beeline for the bathroom. Hopping into the shower with his little Princess, he gives him a break from _not_ using the toy to fuck him. He takes care to be more gentle than when he was using sex as a punishment and even makes sure Edd enjoys it too. After that, he eats with Edd before retreating to the bedroom to sleep. On certain nights, if he's still feeling extra pent up and amorous, he'll also masturbate with Edd's hat, which he shows no remorse in staining with his semen now that the sweet scent of his little Princess has faded. Then he drifts to sleep to begin the cycle again the next day.

Tedious proves to be an understatement, though. Mike gave him a damn full schedule (probably some bullshit payback for taking a week off), so he doesn't anticipate a break for at least a week. Fuckin' hell…What's worse, as the week goes on, he finds himself getting more and more impatient. Finally, about midway through the week, he decides he can't wait for Edd any longer and decides to bring him back to the bedroom.

He begins that night by heading to the bedroom first to grab the ball gag. When he spots the collar and the leash on the floor, he considers using them too, but decides that he can probably hold off on it for a little longer — use it when he needs it. Instead, he throws it into his drawer of sin with the other toys, lubricant, and even Edd's soiled hat, and leaves the room with just the gag. Then it's back to the bathroom for a quick shower.

Edd's more than a little relieved by the news that he'll be returning to the bedroom. No sex in the shower and no more being holed up in the bathroom. He even opens up his mouth wide in anticipation of Terry putting the gag in his mouth. Returning with him to the bedroom, Edd nearly races to the bed, but manages to remain near the door while Terry locks up. _He knows he has to wait_. Only after Terry removes the ball gag does Edd take a tentative step further into the room. When he receives no reprimand for the action, he immediately approaches the bed and crawls up onto it. Without waiting for Terry, he snuggles into the sheets to finally cover his shivering, naked body. Setting the ball gag in the drawer, Terry pulls back the sheets, making Edd whine and curl up. After beckoning the boy towards him, Terry crawls into bed with him.

What follows, of course, is a night full of whispered affections amidst wanton moans and unchecked lust, concluding at last in labored breathing and tingling, unresponsive limbs. As Terry delights in the afterglow, holding the small body against his own, he decides any possible consequence is worth it if it means cradling his little darling in his arms after sex. Edd's reaction is about what he expected; whimpering little sobs and tears staining the sheets beneath them. However, he gets a little added bonus of the boy clinging to him, perhaps in the hope that holding him still will prevent any further abuse to his body. Either way, it's heavenly. So much so that Terry's able to drift to sleep, placing tender kisses to the soft skin of his neck and shoulders.

Waking up the next morning is better than ever, now that his little Princess is cuddled up in his arms. Fucking perfect. If not for the grumbling of their stomachs urging him to move, he would've considered calling off for the day to just spend it in bed with Edd. However, he's reminded in that moment that they hadn't eaten the night before in his haste to begin their night of passion. Reluctantly, he untangles himself from his Princess and throws on his robe to head to the kitchen. Of course, the food he'd brought home the night before is fuckin' inedible now. Soggy from sitting in grease for so long and with an unpleasant odor, he decides to pitch that in favor of some eggs and toast.

He doesn't bother doing anything sexual with Edd while they eat. Not enough time. Just gotta eat and get ready for work. Ignoring Edd's protests, he drops the boy off in the bathroom and continues his day as normal. He might be concerned that his improved mood might be suspicious, but the obnoxious brats and equally irritating coworkers effectively erase that worry along with whatever positivity he might've been able to muster.

Things continue as usual for the rest of the week. While he's working during the day, Terry orders Edd to train with the dildo in the bathroom. He's going a bit easier on the kid — letting him sleep in the bed and keep his overshirt to stay warm — but he still expects _some_ results. It's frustrating as all hell, though. Even with Edd being slightly more obedient, he can't seem to bring himself to use the toy on command. Even after his punishments, his progress is minimal.

Finally, as the week comes to an end, he gets somewhere. When he returns from work that night to find that Edd's not been using the toy, Edd makes a pitiful, desperate plea.

"Sh-Show me!" he begs with a sob as he shields himself from the man's raised hand.

To say that Terry's taken aback by that is an understatement. He regards Edd with a suspicious look, so the boy timidly elaborates, his eyes shutting tight and his head bowing in shame.

"I…I don't know how to…t-to do it without it h-hurting," he explains, glancing up with his brow furrowed, "C-Can you p-please just…show me how…?"

Lowering his hand, Terry cocks his brow; "Why do you want _me_ to show you? I though it was too 'embarrassing'?"

Biting his lip, Edd bows his head to hide his blush.

"B…Because you…" he swallows thickly, fidgeting with the sleeves of the plaid shirt, "Y-You make it…f-feel good…"

 _That_ , Terry decides, is definitely an acceptable answer. With a wicked grin, he strips down and joins Edd on the floor. As he opens the bottle of lubricant, Edd doesn't stop his fidgeting.

"M-Must we d-do this here?" he mumbles, "C-Can't we go back to the b-bedroom first?"

"I still need a shower, Princess," Terry retorts, spreading the lube over his fingers, "Besides, cleanup will be easier in here, don'tcha think?"

Edd shrugs, refusing to raise his gaze any farther than the fluffy rug beneath them; "I suppose that's true…"

"Spread your legs, sweetheart'," Terry coos, placing his free hand on the boy's shoulder.

He receives a soft whine in protest, but Edd shyly obeys, his fingers curling into tight fists at his sides. Rubbing Edd's shoulder, Terry leans in to kiss Edd's temple in an attempt to calm him. With his other hand, he starts probing at Edd's puckered hole. The boy whines again, his brow furrowed as he tenses.

"Relax, Princess. Deep breaths."

Toes curling and clenching, Edd sucks in as many deep, gasping breaths as he can manage in an effort to distract himself from the finger that's stretching him. Terry observes him carefully as Edd arches his back a bit. His little hands remain at his sides, digging into the rug. Brow cocked, Terry leans into his ear.

"You can't just sit there and do nothin'," he informs him.

Edd glances at him, so he decides to explain.

"Touch yourself, Princess. If you want it to feel good, you gotta touch yourself."

Groaning in discomfort, Edd reluctantly moves one of his shaking hands to begin stroking his flaccid cock. Pleased, Terry rewards him with kisses to his temple and his cheek. He'll have to work on getting Edd to do this all himself, but for now, he's more than happy to be of assistance. It's just what he wanted, after all; Edd's coming to _him_ for pleasure. For now, he's perfectly content to whisper encouraging words into the boy's ear and help him along with kisses peppered along his cheek. Once Edd's properly aroused, and when Terry believes he's been stretched enough, he decides it's time to move on.

"Grab the dildo, Princess," he commands gently.

Shivering, Edd shakily reaches over and picks up the toy. Brow furrowed, he shyly holds it towards the man for him to take. Terry shakes his head and hands him the lube instead.

"You're gonna use it," he explains, "I'll help you if you need it, but you're gonna lube it up and start fucking yourself on it."

Edd's shoulders fall; "P-Please…I-I don't…"

"You gotta learn to do it yourself," Terry goes on, "I want you to use it when I aint here. So you gotta do it yourself."

After another pathetic whine, Edd bows his head and accepts the bottle. While he uncomfortably spreads the lubricant over the shaft of the toy, Terry strokes the boy's cock to help him maintain his erection. With the toy now glistening with the lubricant, Terry moves his hand from Edd's cock to grab his wrist. He then leads the boy's hand to move the dildo down towards his asshole.

"Alright, Princess," he coos, letting go of Edd's wrist, "I'll help you put it in."

Ignoring Edd's whimpering, he pushes two fingers into the boy's rectum and scissors them outward. With quivering hands, Edd presses the tip of the dildo against his stretched hole. Keeping his palm upward and carefully removing his fingers, Terry helps him guide the toy in. At the same time, he massages Edd's shoulder with his other hand and leans in to start sucking a new mark into the soft skin of his neck. Edd cringes, his toes curling and his knees drawing inward. His breathing becomes more labored as he pushes the toy in further.

"Relax," Terry reminds him, stroking the small cock again, "The more you tense up, the more it'll hurt."

After a quick glance up at him, Edd shuts his eyes tight. He begins taking deeper, slower breaths, during which time, Terry continues his methods of distracting him by stroking him and teasing the skin on his neck. It seems to work pretty well as far as the man can tell. Edd's panting becomes laced with moans, though he's still not tried moving the dildo very much. To remedy this, Terry grabs the boy's hand that's gripping the toy and slowly makes him move it in and out. Edd's moans are soon broken with grunts and more whimpers as he adjusts to the sensation. Gasping in air, he leans against the man's chest, arching his back.

"Shh…" Terry breathes, dragging his nose up along Edd's cheek as he moves to nibble on his ear, "Daddy'll make it feel good."

Panting, Edd glances up at him, his pretty, pink lips parted slightly to allow for his heaving breath. Licking his own lips, Terry leans in to taste Edd's. He cups the back of the boy's head with the hand that had previously been massaging the tiny shoulder and brings his other hand up to graze the boy's jaw. He feels Edd's fingers touch his wrist and the tiny moan against his lips as he slips his tongue into Edd's mouth. Teasing that adorable little gap before seeking out the timid tongue within.

Moments later, however, he notices that all of Edd's movement seems to have stopped. He still has his hand on the toy, but he's not moving it. _Dammit._ He reaches down to make Edd's hand start moving again and breaks the kiss for a second.

"Don't stop," he hisses.

With a gulp, Edd nods and turns his head down to focus on the dildo moving in and out of him. To Terry's delight, he even goes back to touching himself as he was instructed. Terry continues to observe him and praise him, pleased with his obedience. He can tell when the kid is getting close. Worrying his lower lip between his teeth and exposing that cute fucking gap. His breathing gets faster, as do his hands. Moaning 'Daaaaaddyyyyy!' under his breath. Faster and faster. Seeing an opportunity, Terry leans into his ear again and licks the lobe.

"Cum for Daddy, Princess," he purrs.

That seems to do the trick. Edd orgasms with a soft, strangled cry, his body going rigid as he shuts his eyes tight. _Fuck that's hot_ …Seeing his little darling coming undone in his arms. Masturbating and cumming because _he_ told him to — because _he_ is there. The sort of image he would've thought impossible to witness for himself a few weeks prior. _If this is a dream, someone pull the plug so I don't fuckin' wake up_ …

When Edd finally relaxes again, his body calming from its climax, he gingerly removes the dildo and lets it plop to the floor. His body aquiver, he pulls his slender legs towards himself and turns his body towards Terry. The man chuckles as he cups the soft cheek.

"Good boy," he breathes, "I told you it'd feel good."

Sighing uneasily, Edd rests his cheek against Terry's chest, his breathing still a bit ragged and his body and mind still shaken from the pleasure.

* * *

For the next few weeks, Terry helps Edd get used to using the dildo, with which the boy's still reluctant, but becoming more receptive to. By the end of the month, he's able to use it to reach an orgasm, but never looks truly satisfied. He always looks upset; shaken and tearful like he should be ashamed. It's a habit Terry's been unable to break him of thus far.

Aside from that, however, things are going swimmingly. Edd regularly seeks comfort in Terry's arms. When harsh storms rock the coastal area and break through their quiet evenings or even shut the park down for a day, Edd will be stricken with a panic that only Terry's affection seems to cure. He relishes in every moment. When he's feeling sad or scared, or even a little unwell, he's confides that 'Daddy makes him feel safe'. It's perfect. He knew his little darling would be the perfect student. Taking to his training like the obedient pet he is. The circumstances couldn't have been better.

As such, Terry informs him that he's got a special surprise he's planning to get him. After taking a few measurements, he heads to a clothing store and starts looking for a few cute dresses. He'd been letting Edd wear his jersey again to stay warm, but it's about time he get him some real clothes too. The ladies are more helpful than he expected, but then again, experience had taught him that bitches love helping out poor, confused, newly-single dads who're trying to do right by their daughters. With the measurements he'd written down, they helped him pick out the cutest fucking dresses and other adorable outfits that he just _knows_ will look perfect on Edd. To really sell the schtick, he also gets a pack of panties and throws in a sob story about how 'a lot of her clothes were lost in the accident'. Of course, they ate that shit up.

Returning to the trailer, he's not surprised that Edd's slightly disappointed by the clothes. A few mumblings about how he's a boy go ignored as Terry has him try them on for him. As expected, Edd really does make a cute girl. The sizes are perfect. Perhaps a little loose in the chest, but overall a fairly good fit. He mostly went with summer dresses that were going clearance, so they show off plenty of skin. _Should be easy to get off, too_. After the little fashion show, Edd tries to protest.

"You can't _honestly_ expect me to wear those, can you?" he pleads.

"Oh, you'll wear 'em," Terry retorts, "Cuz aside from my shirts, those are the only clothes you're gettin'."

Edd's naturally upset by this news, but doesn't push it. He knows better than that. Begrudgingly, he seems to accept it, and they soon retire the clothes for the time in favor of getting back to Terry's favorite activity.

During the passing weeks, Terry also hears from Eddy every once in a while. More of the same; blubbering about how much he misses Edd, bitching about how stupid school is, and begging him to maybe visit or let _him_ visit instead. _Yeah right_ …There's no way he'll do either. He dismisses the rest of Eddy's pathetic warbling with his usual responses. 'Get over it', 'school sucks balls, just try to get some cash outta the deal and you'll be fine', and 'fuck no, I don't feel like dealin' with your old man or babysittin' you again'. They usually pacify Eddy for the most part and he tends to hang up with a somber 'Thanks, Bro…', only to start that bullshit all over again in the next call a few days or even a week later.

There is something that's been on Terry's mind, though. Despite all of Eddy's upset, he wonders why he's not heard anything about Edd's parents. Eddy tends not to mention them, so Terry doesn't bring them up (to not look suspicious), but he is sort of surprised. He tends to avoid news programs, but he hasn't heard much even from those gossipy bitches in the park about Edd's disappearance. He knows it's something they'd latch onto as well. There was a murder a few counties over some years back that the same type of brood would chomp at the bit to discuss with other nosy mothers. So why, then, hadn't he heard them go on about how they'd ' _never_ have let that happen to _their_ child', or how they'd be 'inconsolable if it were _their_ child'? Were Edd's parents really not looking for him? Were they not initiating investigation after investigation to find their darling boy? He sort've expected it, yeah, but surely they were at least a _little_ worried? Surely it at least _bothered_ them that their son had gone missing? But no. Come to think of it, had his own mother even mentioned the supposed 'grieving parents' when she called him that day? Fuck, he really _did_ do Edd a favor. Clearly those two didn't know what they had and _clearly_ they didn't care that it was gone.

Oh well. Fuck 'em. Edd has a new home and a new life, now. And now that the kid is showing him the affection and obedience he's owed, he can start giving him all the wonderful things he deserves. Make his little life so comfortable, he'll never want to leave him or the life of luxury that Terry intends to provide. Make him forget all about those neglectful, abusive parents and his stupid friends. He'll shower the little Princess with gifts — give him the moon if he fuckin' wants it. All in exchange for loving him unconditionally.

Or at least, that was the plan…

* * *

It's been about a month since he brought Edd home and Terry is finally feeling satisfied. Waking up with his beloved in his arms and kissing Edd awake as he manages to open his eyes before the alarm goes off. Edd doesn't reciprocate much, but that's not surprising. After they brush their teeth, they can get down to some real, sloppy make-outs and unrestrained sex. After that, Edd'll be more content to kiss him back and give in to his desires. So, it's off to the bathroom. He still uses the ball gag for these trips — just in case — but he's less strict with it. He doesn't secure it nearly as tight. Doesn't grip him too harshly. And Edd obliges. _Good boy._

When they enter the bathroom, and after Terry removes the gag, Edd's the first one to the sink to starts brushing his teeth. Terry had still not gotten him his own toothbrush yet. It's on the list, just not a high priority yet. So Edd still has to share it with the man. With a chuckle, Terry kicks the door shut and saunters over to him. While Edd brushes, he takes the time to groom his goatee.

Edd's methodical in brushing his teeth and takes his time, but he still finishes a bit before Terry finishes his shave. After rinsing his mouth out and running the toothbrush under the water, he sets it beside the faucet for Terry to use and steps back towards the shower. Bowing his head, he stands between the door and the tub and leans against the wall, where he'll wait patiently for bath time. As Terry washes and then towels off his face, he glances at the boy with a pleased grin and gives him a look that promises plenty of naughtiness to come once the water in the shower begins running. Edd hunches his shoulders and blushes, shifting a bit from one foot to the other.

With another laugh, Terry turns his attention back to the sink to begin brushing his teeth. In his mind, all he can picture are the sinful things he intends to do to Edd this morning. Should he have Edd on his knees, sucking him off as he gazes at him with those, big, beautiful eyes? Or maybe he should get down and treat his little darlin with a morning blowjob? Really get him going? Fuuuuck…Or maybe he should just shove him against the fuckin' wall and plow him till he can't walk straight? So many options, so little time. More than any of that, though, he wants to taste his lips and feel that satin skin upon his own. He brushes vigorously, eager to get started. As he turns on the water to spit out the fluoride and saliva, though, he notices something…off out of the corner of his eye. Edd's not quite where he was before. Farther from the tub…Nearer to the door. His arm…

 _Fuck!_

Just as he turns his head, his eyes wide and accusing, Edd releases a sharp gasp and turns the handle. Terry's heart stops and the toothbrush falls with a clatter into the sink as he wills his body to move. It feels like time has stopped and everything around him, including himself, is stuck in slow motion. The door, left unlocked by a momentary lapse in the man's judgement, swings open.

As though the devil were on his heels, Edd runs.


	17. Ch 16 - Bro at the Mouth

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

As Terry pushes himself away from the sink, he feels as though he's running through quicksand. Thankfully, it would seem that Edd's in a similar boat. His movements are frantic, but hindered by his desperation. In his panic, he tries to slip through as small an opening as he can manage — trying to get out as quickly as possible and moving as soon as the door opens — and ends up getting himself stuck for just a second. _Thank fucking god!_ It's just enough that, despite Edd taking off as fast as his feet can manage, Terry's able to catch up without much difficulty.

The second Terry's clawing hand grab's the boy's arm, Edd opens his mouth, taking a deep breath. Eyes wide, Terry yanks him back, causing him to choke on his breath and giving the man enough time to slap a hand over Edd's mouth. But, of course, it's not as easy as just catching him and dragging him back. Edd thrashes like mad. Jabbing him with his bony elbows and twisting his head back and forth to jerk his mouth away from Terry's hand. Kicking his legs and releasing muffled shrieks that Terry prays no one who may be wandering around outside can hear. Digging his nails into Edd's cheek and arm, he yanks him back, grunting as he's jabbed more and more in the gut. More than once, Edd's elbow makes contact with his groin, which nearly makes him lose his grip. However, he bites back the pain, growling as he forces himself to continue dragging the boy back.

Finally, he steps over the threshold of the bedroom door and shoves Edd inside. Terry slams the door shut and searches for the keys to lock the door, cursing when he realizes that they're still in his robe pocket. At least that's still near the bed.

But that still proves to be an issue. As soon as he recovers, Edd scrambles back to his feet and rushes the door. Gritting his teeth, Terry whips around to smack him down again. He turns around to walk further into the room, but has to keep stopping in order to kick Edd back to the floor.

"Stay the _fuck_ down, dammit!" he snarls, swiping up his robe.

Of course, Edd ignores him and struggles back to his feet. It seems to be getting more and more difficult for him. Though that's to be expected. As far as Terry can tell, Edd's not the most physically active kid. It seems natural that being thrown around and trying to run a lot would leave him winded fairly quickly. Once Terry finally gets the door locked, he rounds on Edd.

"How fuckin' _dare_ you try to leave me?!" he roars, grabbing a chunk of Edd's hair and yanking him up, "After everything I've done for you — how fuckin' _dare_ you try n' pull that shit?!"

"Take your hands _off_ of me!" Edd shrieks, clawing at the man's wrist, "You've done _nothing_ but torture me! I hate you! I hate you so much! I want to go _home!_ "

With a roar filled with rage and hurt, Terry brings his hand down over Edd's cheek, leaving behind a burning red mark that he's determined will bruise.

"When are you gonna get it through that thick dome of yours, _Princess?_ " he spits, "You _are_ home. You belong to _me._ "

"No, I don't!" Edd argues through his tears, "I belong to no one!"

"Oh, yes you do," Terry shoves him away, knocking Edd to the ground, "And I'm gonna make sure that message sinks the fuck in."

Whipping around, he rips open the sin drawer. The myriad of dildos and vibrators tumble to the floor as Terry searches for the collar and leash. Among the items that he throws out is Edd's hat, which lands just behind him. He hears Edd gasp and the soft thumping as he scrambles over again. But he pays that little mind as he wraps his fingers around the collar. As he turns again, he finds Edd glaring at him accusingly, the hat on the floor.

"You monster!" Edd screams, his fingers curling into fists as he rises shakily to his feet, "You wretched, disgusting, _beast!_ "

Without giving a second thought, Edd charges him. His tiny fists connect weakly with Terry's chest and arms and tears are welling at the corners of his eyes.

"Have your efforts to ruin my life not been excessive _enough?!_ " he sobs.

Shooting him a disgusted look, Terry kicks him away. As Edd rolls onto his back to try and recover, Terry leans over him and kneels down with his knee on the small chest. With his key ring at the ready, he locks the collar around Edd's slender neck. Looking up, he notices that they're a few feet away from the floor tie, so he grabs Edd by the collar and drags him closer to it. Holding him down with his knee again, he ties the leash to the fixture before locking the metal end of it to the collar with the padlock.

The second Terry moves his knee, Edd rolls over onto his stomach and pushes himself up. He turns to the man with a glare and pushes himself to charge for him again. This time, however, he doesn't get nearly as far as the leash goes taut. With a gag, he recoils and is brought back to the ground, choking and coughing as he holds his throbbing neck. Finally, Terry relaxes a little. Though Edd struggles to remove the collar, he is of course unable to get past the locks.

"Take this _off_ of me!" Edd demands, forcing himself to sit up.

Terry heaves a mocking laugh; "What makes you think I'd do that? Especially after that shit you pulled?"

As Terry turns back to the drawer, he notices Edd glaring at him out of the corner of his eye. _Little shit thinks he's allowed to be mad after what he just did? I'll fix that._ Ignoring that hateful look, Terry leans down to snatch up one of the vibrators. Turning back to Edd, he sees the boy go pale.

"N-No!" he cries, pulling his legs up and trying to back away, "I-I refuse to use another of those _horrid_ things!"

"That's too damn bad," Terry sneers back, wagging the toy back and forth, "You're mine to do with as I please."

"No, I'm _not!_ " Edd argues, his discomfort diminishing.

That lasts all of ten seconds as Terry advances on him again. He tries again to back away, but is stopped by the leash. Grinning wickedly, Terry grabs the leash and yanks Edd back towards him.

"Get on your knees," Terry commands through his teeth.

Edd whines, struggling against his restraints. With a groan, Terry sets the toy aside and retrieves the handcuffs. He returns to Edd's side and unceremoniously kicks him in the chest. Not hard enough to do any serious damage, of course, but certainly enough to knock him onto his front. Moving quickly, he kneels down and grabs Edd's wrists to cuff them together behind his back. Again, Edd whines and screams, jerking his arms in his attempts to free himself. Satisfied, Terry grabs the boy's hips.

"There now," he chuckles, "Let's try that again. On. Your. Knees."

Without giving Edd a chance to acquiesce, he hoists his hips up so that Edd's on his knees and so that his shoulder and cheek are pressed painfully against the floor.

"That's better."

"Stop it!" Edd sobs, his body shaking as Terry lubes up the vibrator, "Please! Let me go!"

"Aww…" Terry coos, "You're begging? What happened to all that spunk just now?"

Edd whimpers, his body trying to curl in on itself; "I…I w-want my m-m-mother…I-I want to go h-home!"

"Poor baby boy…" Terry chortles, "You miss your _mommy?_ "

That doesn't get a response past more sobbing, drawing another laugh from the man as he positions the vibrator against Edd's asshole.

"I suggest you forget all about that bitch," Terry informs him, "You aint gonna see her ever again."

"Nooo," Edd whines, his fingers curling into weak fists as he shakes from his sobs.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Terry scoffs, "At least you've got me."

After that, he begins pushing the vibrator into the puckered hole, making Edd gasp and grunt in pain. His little toes curl as he tenses up, trying to prevent the intrusion. Once the toy is mostly in, Terry shoots him a devious look before flipping the switch. The sudden stimuli makes Edd's already tense body shiver and he gasps and cries out in discomfort.

"S-Stop!" Edd cries, "N-No more! _Please!_ "

"Don't act like you don't love it," Terry retorts, "I know you do."

Edd protests, shaking his head as best he can with his cheek against the floor. They don't last nearly as long as he would probably like. Before long, he's panting heavily and his shivering grows more intense. While he watches the boy endure the unfamiliar stimulus, he reaches around him to stroke his cock. Edd's pitiful whines become laced with reluctant moans. Terry grins in twisted delight.

When he finally urges an orgasm out of the kid, accompanied by a strangled scream, he grabs Edd by a chunk of hair at the back of his head and yanks him upright. That pretty face is wet with tears and snot and his features are scrunched up in agony.

"If you _dare_ try to run from me again," Terry snarls, "I'll make the next punishment worse."

Edd tries his damnedest to give him an angry look.

"I hate you," he sniffles.

Gritting his teeth, Terry shoves him back to the floor, where he lays in a quivering heap. He doesn't bother removing the vibrator. Why bother? It'd be more fun to leave it in and let Edd suffer with the discomfort.

"If all that's gonna come outta your mouth are those ugly lies," Terry warns, "then I don't wanna hear you speak again. Unless you're gonna call me 'Daddy'."

As he rises to his feet, he pauses for a moment to glare down at the child lying prone beneath him.

"On second thought…" he murmurs, "You're basically a dog now with that little leash. So you're gonna all me 'Master' from now on." Chuckling, he prods at Edd's cheek with his foot. "You got that, Princess?"

No response as Edd glares at him through his tears, so Terry decides to be more rough. He puts more pressure on Edd's cheek.

"I _said_ ," he growls over Edd's squealing, "you got that?!"

"Yes!" Edd sobs, trying to squirm away, "Yes!"

"Yes, _what?!_ " Terry snaps, alleviating the pressure ever so slightly.

Glaring up at him, Edd speaks through his teeth; "Y-Yes…'Master'."

Terry chuckles, satisfied; "Good boy."

Without another word, he heads over to his dresser. After all this bullshit, he can't get a shower before his shift. He's gotta get dressed and head out. As he heads for the bedroom door, clothes in hand, he hears Edd speak again.

"Y-You're just going to leave me like this?!"

Gritting his teeth, Terry kicks the boy in the side, making him yelp in pain and curl up.

"What the fuck did I _just_ tell you?!" he demands, "You don't talk _ever_ again! Unless you're gonna call me 'Master', you keep your pretty little mouth shut!"

When Edd remains silent, Terry turns back to the door.

"And yes, I _am_ leaving you like that," he grumbles, " _Maybe_ I'll give you some relief when I come back. But I don't think you deserve it."

With that, he storms out of the room and locks back up. Then it's straight to the bathroom to get dressed.

His shift is obnoxious as all hell. Aside from being horribly pent up from being denied a morning round of sex, Edd's little escape attempt has left him pissed the fuck off. Little shit was biding his fucking time. Waiting for him to slip up. Playing to his weakness for that soft, sweet flesh and his obedience. Of fucking course. He knew his little Princess was smart. And he knew it wouldn't be an overnight change. But, god _dammit!_ He wasn't expecting it to be _this_ hard or _this_ frustrating!

As such, when an attendee comes up to him with a question or complaint, he snaps back at them, unwilling to hear a single word against him and his behavior. He's no more amicable towards his coworkers. Dave's shitty jokes fall on hostile ears and any attempt to ask him about his mood is met with a snarling response. It doesn't help that the fucker thinks he can talk to him to get his shit together. Like during his lunch break…

"Jesus, man, who the fuck pissed in your cornflakes this morning?" Dave asks with a scoff.

"Shut the fuck up," Terry snaps back, digging his nails into his own scalp as he leans against the counter, "Just get me a fuckin' burger and a couple beers."

"Just the burger?" Dave questions, shooting him a suspicious look, "You watchin' your figure all of a sudden?"

"I aint that hungry, motherfucker," Terry grumbles back, "And I aint in the mood for your bullshit today. Just get me my damn food."

Rolling his eyes, Dave drops the matter and focuses on cooking. Terry decides not to return to his trailer for lunch out of pure disgust and instead heads out of the park for a smoke and some peace. He can still hear the sounds of the park, but they're more muted out here as he leans against the fence. The one good thing he can say about the day is that no one's asked him about any noises from his trailer. He's not _too_ surprised, when he really thinks about it. It was well before noon when that debacle happened, so there wouldn't have been any patrons wandering about. And his coworkers never really come snooping around his place unless he's running late for his shift. Still, though, if he'd not been quick enough, Edd could've started screaming before he could stop him and ruined the whole thing. He's gotta be more careful moving forward.

That means no more freedoms. Period. The leash he put on Edd is going to be a constant now. He'll keep Edd tied down in the bedroom at all times. Gag him when he needs to take him to the bathroom, but otherwise keep him tied up to the floor tie. God dammit. He hits the fence with his fist as he realizes that bringing Edd into bed with him is out of the question now. He can't risk showing even the slightest shred of kindness. He'll make Edd regret ever taking his tenderness for granted.

Cooling off outside of the park helps some and when he returns for the rest of his shift, he's a bit more calm than before. He gets an earful from Mike about his behavior, but otherwise, the rest of his day goes by without much of a hitch.

When he's done for the day, he heads home with a meager meal for Edd, which he decides to purée before pouring it into a small bowl. He finds the boy still lying on the floor, probably unable to sit up because of the cuffs. The vibrator is lying on the ground behind him, moving slightly and emitting a low hum to indicate that it's still on. With a sneer, he sets the bowl of food down on the floor, just out of the boy's reach. He can hear Edd's stomach growling in demand when the smell of food hits his nose. But he ain't gonna let the kid eat yet. He has more pressing matters to attend to.

"On your knees," he commands with a growl, "Or no dinner."

Edd whimpers, but reluctantly obeys. Using his shoulders to push his body up a bit, he manages to force himself to his knees. Licking his lips, Terry unzips his pants to whip out his cock, which he begins stroking to erection.

"Good boy," he hisses as he strokes Edd's hip.

He grabs the lubricant when he's fully erect and lubes himself up. He doesn't bother stretching Edd out. _Should still be good from this morning._ Despite this, however, he does move slow so as not to hurt himself. His movement is mechanical and without affection as he rocks back and forth. Edd grunts and whimpers with each thrust, but otherwise doesn't seem to be too interested in speaking again after the abuse he suffered this morning.

As intended, the sex is over with fairly quickly, though he wishes it could at least feel a little better. After all the bullshit he's dealt with today, Terry finds himself caring only about getting off. Not a lot of pleasure comes from it, though. Coming down from his sexual high, he sags over Edd's body and drags his palms over the slender hips.

When he recovers, he leans into Edd's ear; "You hungry, darlin?"

Edd nods wearily; "Y-Yes…"

"Yes, _what_?"

Wincing, Edd tries to curl in on himself; "Y-Yes…M-Master."

"That's better."

Placing a smug kiss to Edd's cheek, he pushes himself up and stands to retrieve the bowl. Edd manages to sit up on his knees, his brow furrowed as the purée is set before him. While he's distracted by the sight of his meal, Terry removes the cuffs.

"Wh…What is this?" Edd asks, his voice hoarse as he rubs his wrists.

"It's your dinner," Terry retorts, letting that question slide for the moment as he grabs his robe.

Edd regards the bowl with disgust before looking around it.

"May I at least have some silverware?"

"That's strike two," Terry warns, standing beside him, "What'd I tell you about talking?"

"But—"

He doesn't give him a chance to finish that thought as he slaps him sharply across the face. Edd manages to keep himself from falling to the ground, but is still taken aback as he caresses his cheek.

"I told you," Terry snarls, "You're a dog now. You don't speak unless I tell you to. And that also means you _eat_ like a dog. Just be fuckin' grateful I didn't leave the cuffs on so you can use your hands."

Grumbling under his breath, he storms out of the room and locks up. He showers quickly, feeling hungry himself, but eager to wash away his frustrations first. When he returns to the bedroom wearing a towel and with his own dinner in hand, he finds Edd prodding at his food and looking horribly uncomfortable. He glares down at him as he sets his bag on the bed.

"If you ain't gonna eat, I'll throw that out," he warns, "And you won't get anything till tomorrow."

Whining softly, Edd gives him a pitiful look as Terry removes his burger and fries. When Terry catches him staring, he waves a fry at him.

"You want some of _these?_ " he teases.

Brow furrowed, Edd nods and shifts on his knees.

"Well…" Terry chuckles, popping the fry into his mouth, and speaking as he chews, "If you want a bite of _my_ dinner, then you're gonna do somethin' for _me._ "

Edd's shoulders fall as Terry removes his towel to expose his cock. The fixture on the ground is close enough to the bed that Edd is able to kneel beside it, but not quite close enough to actually be _on_ the bed. Therefore, Terry sits on the edge and waggles another fry at Edd, this time in a beckoning motion. Cringing, Edd bows his head, turning his attention to his bowl of slop. Taking a deep breath, he clenches his fists before scooping up his first bite and stuffing it into his mouth.

The sight is slightly disappointing. Terry had hoped that the disgusting food would be enough to push Edd back towards him, but it seems he wants to be stubborn. Oh well. As disappointing as it is, he also gets a sick sense of satisfaction out of it. Edd's surely not going to be able to endure this for too long. Eventually, he'll give in to him.

He eats slowly, delighting as Edd gags and chokes down the puréed mush. More than once, he sees the boy's cheek puff out, followed shortly by his hands covering his mouth to stop himself from vomiting. It draws a smug chuckle from the man. _That'll teach him._ When the bowl is finally empty, Edd curls up on his side, holding his stomach. Terry's own meal is gone as well, so he crumples up the bag and rises to his feet to retrieve the bowl. Edd's angry pout makes him laugh.

"Wasn't that _yummy?_ " he mocks, turning away to leave the room.

He hears Edd gag again, but not much else as he heads out. After dropping off the dish and throwing away his trash, he returns to the bedroom to find Edd sitting up a bit and holding his arms. Locking the door behind him, Terry walks into the room and Edd opens his mouth. A sharp glare from Terry, however, has him withdrawing whatever he was about to say. Terry shoots him a satisfied smirk.

"You wanna sleep with Master tonight?" he asks, his brow cocked.

Glancing at the bed, Edd certainly doesn't _look_ like he does. His shoulders hunch and he curls in on himself a bit. After a moment, though, he glances back at the man and nods. Clearly he's not interested in sleeping cold tonight. Stroking his goatee, Terry meanders towards the bed.

"I dunno, Princess," he shrugs, grabbing his robe and securing it as far away from Edd as possible, "You've been a bad boy. Why should I let you sleep in my bed?"

Again, Edd opens his mouth, but pauses. Biting his lip, he fidgets with the collar.

"P-Please, Master…" he murmurs, "I'm s-sorry I was bad. L-Let me sleep with you…"

Terry regards him with a grimace. He knows this game. There's no way in hell Edd's come around this quickly. He's trying to play to his weakness again. _But that shit won't work on me anymore._

"Nice try," Terry snorts, walking past him, "You've made your bed, Princess. Now you get to lie in it."

That being said, as Terry climbs into bed, he tosses his still damp towel at Edd.

"That's about as much comfort as you deserve."

Whimpering, Edd begrudgingly accepts the towel as Terry pulls the covers up over himself. Before lying down, however, he decides to add one more insult to injury. Edd's soiled hat is still lying discarded on the floor. With a twisted smirk, Terry snatches it up. The movement draws the boy's attention and he notices Edd's jaw drop.

"Y-You wouldn't _dare!_ " he cries.

Pretending he didn't hear that, Terry lies back as he strokes his flaccid cock. He hears Edd shifting and can feel his little hands straining to grab his hat. Again, he pretends he doesn't notice as he moves himself further onto the bed and out of Edd's reach. When he's sufficiently hard, he shoots the boy a devious grin before wrapping the cloth around his cock. Edd cries out, his hands clawing into the sheets.

"No!" he sobs, "Stop! Please! N-Not my hat!"

His pleas fall on deaf ears as Terry continues to masturbate, his eyes closing to block out the boy's sobbing and begging expression on his face. He doesn't hold back his moans as he murmurs out his depraved fantasies. Instead, he delights in the disgusted whines from his little captive. Eventually, Edd seems to give up trying to stop him and, after he orgasms, Terry happens a glance at him to find him curled up with his hands over his ears. He's still screaming and sobbing, but he's trying his damnedest not to look at him again.

With a scoff, Terry tosses the hat back to the ground, startling the boy and making him recoil. Satisfied and chuckling to himself, he pulls the covers up over his naked body to settle in to sleep.


	18. Ch 17 - Crack the Edd

The next morning, Terry wakes with an irritable groan, slamming his fist onto the alarm clock blaring on the bedside table. Dammit…Sitting up, he rubs the sleep out of his eyes and holds his head. Fuck if he doesn't want to just sleep the goddamn day away. Particularly after that shitshow yesterday. But if he tries to call off, he'll have Mike on his ass or worse. No, gotta drag himself out of bed and get a shower in.

Throwing his legs over the side of the bed, he spots Edd curled up on the floor. He seems to be awake and shivering, but he's not moving much past that. Just as well. He has no intention of letting him in on his shower after that display. Instead, he stands, grabs his robe and keys, and exits the room without a word.

He doesn't dawdle in the shower, of course. Why bother? It's not like he's got his little Princess to make the experience better. Why waste his time? When he returns to the bedroom, he finds Edd sitting up in the floor. He's hugging his arms and shivering terribly and it's now that Terry can see the shining purple bruise on his cheek. _Damn right that left a mark…_ When he turns back to the boy after locking the door behind him, he notices Edd glaring hatefully at him.

Setting his robe on the bed, he scoffs; "Such a mean look on such a pretty face."

That doesn't deter Edd from glaring, but as Terry discards his towel, he does bow his head and looks away. It makes the man laugh again.

"So shy," he notes, "Like you ain't seen it before."

He hears the boy whine in disgust, but he chooses to ignore that to focus instead on dressing himself. Boxers and pants first, then he starts searching for a relatively clean shirt. He'll have to hit up the laundromat again soon. Finally, he finds one and pulls it from the drawer.

" _I want to go home._ "

The sudden, but soft voice draws an angry growl from Terry as he throws the jersey down to the floor. Gritting his teeth, he storms over to the boy. Clearly, Edd knows what's coming, as a worried look flashes over his face and he raises his hands to shield himself. That does nothing to stop Terry as he strikes him sharply across his cheek. Edd cries out in pain and falls back from the force, whimpering.

"I _told_ you," Terry snaps, "You don't get to speak again!"

Edd starts to sit up, holding his cheek as his tears begin to fall. With a sneer, Terry unzips his pants. As he whips out his cock and strokes himself, Edd wretches in disgust.

"Don't gimme that look," Terry grumbles, "Now, open your mouth. You're gonna get me off."

Again, Edd wretches, this time trying to back away.

"N-No…" he mumbles, shaking his head.

With a growl, Terry grabs his hair to hold him still and decides to make his tone more commanding.

"Master gave you an _order_ ," he snarls, "I _said;_ 'Get. Me. Off'."

Shutting his eyes and mouth tight, Edd reaches up to grab the man's wrist to pull him off. When that proves fruitless, he starts using one hand to push on the man's legs. Terry grimaces and grabs Edd's jaw, forcing his mouth open.

"Ngo! Ngo!" Edd cries, trying to shake his head to pull away from the man.

Ignoring his pleas, Terry guides his cock past Edd's open lips, gagging him. The boy continues to struggle, but to no avail. Terry's grimace morphs into a hideous grin as he holds Edd's head down over his crotch and as any previous concern about hurting him slips away. Of course, Edd continues to resist, pushing against his legs and whining around the obstruction. As Terry feels a slight pressure from Edd's teeth, he digs his fingers into the boy's hair.

"You fuckin' bite me and I'll beat the shit outta you," he warns.

Edd whines in fear, his little fingers curling into shaking fists against Terry's thighs.

"Now," Terry continues, "Just get me off and I'll let you go."

Whimpering, Edd timidly obliges. He starts slow, clearly uncomfortable. Fearful, tentative licks before he begins slowly bobbing his head. Terry licks his lips, rocking back and forth into the tight, wet heat. Moaning deeply, he strokes the tangled mess of hair. Fucking perfection. _So damn good._ He peers down at the boy through half-lidded eyes, chuckling softly at the disgusted and pained look on his face. _That'll teach him_.

He orgasms with a low groan, clutching Edd's head tight and pressing his hips fully against his face. Edd whines in protest, which soon becomes gagging as the man's cum hits his tongue. With a scoff, Terry pushes Edd off of him before shoving him to the floor, where he begins coughing like mad. As he sits up, hacking and spiting up semen and a bit of vomit, Terry gives him a mean look. Fingers curling into fists, he punches the back of Edd's head.

"You're making a fucking _mess!_ " he roars, grabbing the boy's hair and shoving his face down into the liquid, "Disobedient little _shit!_ "

After a moment, Terry shoves him away again and grabs his discarded towel. Though he'd _love_ to leave Edd to wallow in his filth for the next few hours while he's at work, he doesn't feel like dealing with it after he gets home. Then it'll dry and just be even more of a pain to clean up. No, best clean it now and be done with it. Edd on the other hand…

Once the floor is clean, Terry bundles the towel up so that the mess is contained within and sets it aside. He makes sure to pull the sheets away from the floor and even off of the bed just enough so that Edd can't hope to reach them from where he's chained up. When that's done, he pulls on his jersey and his plaid shirt and grabs his robe and towel. Before leaving the room, he glances back at Edd.

"Maybe if you're good for me," he begins with a sneer, "I'll give you a bath tonight when I get home. Maybe."

He lingers just long enough to catch the dejected look on the kid's face before stepping out of the room and locking back up.

* * *

His day passes about the same as usual. It's a Friday, so it's busy as hell. Luckily, Terry finds himself in less of a mood today. He's still pretty irritable, but he's at least not snapping at every customer. Nah, now, he's back to just ignoring the annoying ones and giving his snarky, sarcastic answers to the more naive brats and mothers that dare to ask him a question. And, of course, his coworkers have taken notice. A couple have asked, but are quickly dispatched with a wave and a half-hearted excuse about being in a shitty mood because of shitty news. They don't press him after that.

'Cept Dave, of course. _That asshole…_

"Jesus, man," he begins with a scoff, "What got your panties in a twist yesterday?"

"Just a shit mood," Terry retorts, leaning against the window of the food trailer, "Burger and fries!"

Adam nods to him from the grill, but doesn't respond. Whether he just doesn't feel like talking to either of them or he just wants to enjoy his chewing tobacco is anyone's guess, but Terry's fine with the silence. Adam knows how he takes his food. He doesn't need more than a simple order. Unlike Dave, who needs you to give him lots of details and shit to make sure he gets it right. At least that fucker's been manning the Mondo coaster for the day. Now, if only their breaks didn't line up so damn well.

"Yeah, knowing you, that makes sense," Dave shrugs, taking a drag off his cigarette, "Guess it _is_ more rare to see you in a 'good' mood."

"Well, no need to worry," Terry sneers, "The more I work with _you_ the less of a good mood I'm in."

"Yeah right," Dave laughs, "I'm the only friend you got around here."

"Is that what you are?" Terry retorts with a grimace.

Adam snickers a bit as he hands a previous order to one of the uncomfortable looking park guests. Dave rolls his eyes, flicking his ashes away.

"You sure you're not still in that mood a yours? Y'still sound a lil grumpy."

"Fuck no," Terry rolls his eyes, "Talkin' to you just _puts_ me in a shit mood."

"Nah, I'm a goddamn delight," Dave shrugs, taking another puff.

Terry groans, dragging his hand down his face.

"Don't you have a coaster to run?" he grumbles.

"I still got five minutes," Dave retorts, "And this is way more entertaining."

 _Not for long, asshole._ Terry grins and stands straighter as Adam walks over with his bag of food. After a quick inspection, he turns away.

"Well, sucks to be you; I'm heading back to my trailer."

"Again?" Dave scoffs, "You turnin' into one of them shut-ins?"

"Fuck no," Terry retorts, "Just don't feel like eating around you assholes."

Dave's eyes fall to the bag; "Huh, maybe it's your diet that's got you so grumpy. You oughta be careful eatin' so much a that fair food. S'probably givin' ya indigestion or something?"

"Ha!" Terry pokes him in the chest, "If anything's givin' me 'indigestion', it's _your_ shitty cookin'. Thank fuck, someone _else_ is mannin' the grill, eh, Adam?"

As if to prove that point, Adam channels one of those fancy hibachi chef and flips his spatula turners every which way. The patrons waiting for food clap as he concludes by crossing the spatulas over his chest, but their applause fades as he adds a middle finger directed at Dave. A couple of mothers gasp and cover their children's eyes while throwing in an 'I never!'

"See, that fucker knows what he's doing," Terry snickers, walking away, "and he doesn't have to say a goddamn thing while doin' it."

He doesn't indulge whatever response Dave intends to come up with and instead heads off with his food, laughing at his expense. It's almost a shame Adam doesn't talk as much. Motherfucker would probably make for some decent conversation, at least.

Ah, but enough of all that. It's time to head home and check in on his little Princess. Maybe he can be persuaded to share some of his lunch…? As he enters his trailer, he locks the door behind him and makes a beeline for his bedroom.

However, he's snapped from his thoughts of face fucking his little captive by the phone suddenly ringing. _Goddammit…_ He wonders for a moment whether or not he should answer. A telemarketer? Nah, too early. His folks? Fuck it, why should he care? Oh shit…What if it's Mike calling about some bullshit? Sure, he could come find him, but he's been known to make calls while doing paperwork before. And if he ignores the call, the lazy fuck might actually come around looking for him.

"Dammit…" he grumbles, setting his food on the table.

Whoever it is, he'll be able to dispatch them quick enough. Maybe he'll still have some time to spend with Edd.

"What?" he grumbles into the receiver.

" _Bro!_ " Eddy's voice sighs back, " _Boy, am I glad you picked up._ "

"Oh, it's _you,_ " Terry groans, "What're you doin' callin', Pipsqueak? Shouldn't you be in school or somethin'?"

" _Nah, I just got home,_ " Eddy answers, " _And…I dunno…I wanted to talk to you if you got a minute._ "

 _Fuck…_ If he snaps at him or hangs up on him, the brat might tell mom. Either that, or he'll just keep calling to bother him. _There goes my fuckin' lunch break._ Oh well. It just means Edd will have to suffer alone for a little while longer. _Serves him right._

"Yeah, yeah," Terry groans, plopping down into one of the kitchen chairs, "Just got my lunch break. But I can't talk long, so make it snappy."

He hears Eddy sigh again; " _Thanks, Bro._ "

"So what's goin' on?" Terry asks, feigning interest, "What's so damn important that you just _had_ to call?"

" _Nothin' important, really…_ " Eddy mumbles back, " _I just wanted to…y'know, talk?_ "

"Ugh, you're not gonna _cry_ again, are ya?"

" _No!_ " Eddy pauses, " _Nothin' like that. Just wanted to talk. That's all._ "

"Alright, alright," Terry sighs, pulling out his lunch, "Shoot."

" _Um…okay,_ " Eddy stammers, " _Well, I just got home. School was fuckin' bullshit, as usual. Mrs. Miller gave us some bullshit pop quiz and me and Ed got detention for fighting._ "

"Why're you fightin' your lackey?" Terry scoffs, choosing not to point out that he's only got the one now.

" _Oh, no, me n' Ed weren't fighting,_ " Eddy replies, " _Ed was helpin' me deal with someone else._ "

" _You_ were fightin' someone?" Terry asks, "I'd believe you got into a lover's spat with your lackey before I bought _that._ "

" _You weren't there, Bro…_ " Eddy mumbles back, " _Actually, that reminds me. You got any tips for gettin' back at shovel chin douchebags who can't keep their fat mouths shut?_ "

"I'm guessin' this 'shovel chin douchebag' is the kid you were fighting…?"

" _Maybe…_ " Eddy's voice sounds bit muffled for a moment before he continues, " _So you got any ideas or what?_ "

"Lemme think about it…" Terry answers, taking a bite out of his burger.

" _Okay,_ " Eddy sighs, " _Well, then…how've_ _ **you**_ _been, Bro?_ "

"Fine."

" _Um…how's your day goin'?_ "

"Same as usual."

Eddy's clearly not enjoying the simple answers, but he keeps trying.

" _Do you…um…D'ya think you might be able to visit soon?_ "

"No," Terry retorts without a second thought, "Not gonna happen, Pipsqueak."

" _Aw, c'mon, Bro!_ " Eddy whines, " _Double D still aint been found — nobody's telling me_ _ **anything**_ _about what's going on with that, either — and I just wanna hang out with you for a little while! Just enough to put the other kids back in line, y'know?_ "

"I said, 'no', Runt," Terry snaps back, "I aint babysittin' you again. And you gotta suck it up and deal with it yourself. Be a man."

Eddy whines again, but seems to drop that matter for now. Terry listens for anything new, but when Eddy doesn't continue, he decides to try something.

"And about that kid goin' missing," he begins, "Why don'tcha just talk to his folks? I bet _they_ can give you the answers you're so damn starved for."

" _I dunno…_ " Eddy mumbles back, " _It's weird, Bro…I mean, I don't see 'em very often, but when I do, they don't look…'upset'. Like, don't get me wrong, they don't look 'happy' or anything, but…they don't look worried or sad._ "

Terry grits his teeth, his appetite waning. He bites his tongue to stop himself from commenting.

" _I told mom about it, but she said they were 'putting up a tough front' or something,_ " Eddy continues, " _Tryin' to 'hide their pain'._ " Another pause. " _But…I dunno if I buy it._ "

"You shouldn't," Terry notes, "Sounds like bullshit, to me."

" _What'dya mean?_ "

"I betcha those two are fuckin' behind all this."

Yeah…pass the buck! Then those neglectful fucks will take the heat and he'll live happily ever after with the little Princess!

" _What're you nuts?_ " Eddy asks in disbelief, " _That makes no sense._ "

"C'mon, Pipsqueak, think about it," Terry explains, rising to his feet, "A kid disappears and his folks act like they could give a shit? Sounds pretty suspicious if ya ask me."

" _Huh…_ " Eddy mumbles, " _When ya put it that way, it does sound kinda weird…But…I-I just don't think so. Sockhead's parents were never around for him, but I just can't believe they'd do somethin' like that…_ "

"Believe what you want, Pipsqueak," Terry replies with a shrug, "That's just my take on it."

He glances to the microwave and spots the time. His lunch break will be over soon and he still needs to at least check in on Edd for a second.

"Anyway, I gotta get back," he sighs, "Oh, and about your shovel chin jerk problem…"

" _Yeah?!_ "

"Here's whatcha do. Take somethin' he loves and invent yourself a way to…'improve' it."

" _We've tried that,_ " Eddy laments, " _One time, me and the boys tried making him fake bikes to sell like dad at his car lot. Ol Shovel Chin treats his bike like it's his girlfriend or somethin'. But…how would that even help me get back at him?_ "

"No, no," Terry sighs, "Don't make a new one. 'Improve' the one he _has._ Give it a new paint job or somethin' to attach to it that'll make it look all flashy n' shit."

" _I don't get it…_ "

"I aint done, Pipsqueak," Terry snaps back, "You're not _actually_ improving it. Whatever you do to it, you gotta make sure it wrecks the bike instead. Like…Paint 'faggot' or 'asshole' on the side of the bike. Or take one of them novelty horns that plays Cucaracha or somethin' and replace that with a message that'll get his ass in trouble. Make it say something nasty about his parents or insult the principal so it'll land him in detention. _And_ if you offer it as a service and act like you're gonna 'improve' the bike, you'll get paid too."

" _That's perfect!_ " Eddy cheers, " _Thanks Bro! That's why_ _ **you're**_ _the king!_ "

"Yeah, yeah, I'm the king," Terry drones, "Now, if you don't mind, I gotta get back to work."

" _Sure,_ " Eddy replies, " _Thanks again, Bro. I'll talk to ya later, okay?_ "

"Yeah, yeah…"

" _Kay…bye!_ "

Groaning, Terry sets the phone down and shovels down the last of his lunch. As he throws away the empty bag, he walks over to the fridge and grabs a bottle of water before heading to the bedroom. Edd's shivering on his spot on the floor and refusing to look up even when Terry enters the room and closes the door behind him. He doesn't lock up, but he's more than prepared to keep Edd from running. Crossing the room, he sets the bottle on the bedside table and retrieves the ball gag before returning to Edd's side.

"Open your mouth, Princess," he orders, "Master's gonna give you a potty break."

Edd glares up at him, but reluctantly opens his mouth. _Guess he needs this little trip to the toilet._ After securing the ball gag, Terry unhooks the leash. He keeps a tight grip on the boy's arm while he unhooks the leather strap from the floor tie. Then he hooks it back to the collar and stands straight.

"Alright, let's go."

Brow furrowed, Edd shakily rises to his feet and takes a step. Before his foot can hit the ground, Terry kicks him back to the floor.

"Did I fuckn' _say_ you could walk like that?!" he snaps, "You're a dog, _Princess._ That means you _walk_ like one."

Edd looks at him, shocked, and tries to rise back to his feet. Again, Terry kicks him to the floor.

"On your hands and knees!"

Whimpering, Edd finally obeys.

"That's better," Terry snickers, walking over to the door and tugging on the leash, "C'mon, boy."

The whimpering doesn't stop as he leads Edd down the hall to the bathroom. All the while, the boy walks on all fours, his face bright red in shame. As they cross the threshold of the bathroom, Edd starts to stand again, but Terry steps on his back, forcing him to the ground.

"Hands and knees," he warns.

Back to walking on all fours, he's not allowed to stand fully until they actually reach the toilet.

"Up."

With a sigh, Edd rises to his feet. He's reluctant, of course, to urinate while Terry's with him and watching, but he manages after a moment. After Edd flushes, Terry watches him move to the sink to wash his hands. He waits until he has them under the running water and as he's reaching for the soap, at which point, he yanks him away and kicks him to the floor once again.

"Back to the bedroom," he growls, turning the water off.

He receives more pitiful whines in response as he leads the boy along. Still making the kid walk on all fours. _Like the dog he is…_ When they return to the bedroom, he secures Edd to the post. Only then does he finally remove the ball gag, tossing it back into the drawer. Grabbing the water bottle, he sets it on the floor near the floor tie and turns his attention back to Edd. Putting on a wicked grin, he grabs him by the chin to make the boy look at him.

"Tell me you love me," he orders in as sweet a tone as he can manage.

Edd's startled by this and stares back at the man like he didn't hear him properly. Terry's grin falters and he squeezes a bit harder.

"I wanna hear you say it," he snarls, "Say 'I love you, Master."

Clasping his hands over Terry's wrist, Edd whines in pain, glaring back at him.

"I-I'll do _no_ such thing!"

Terry's vision bleeds red for a moment and he yanks on the leash.

"Yes you will!" he growls, "Now, say it!"

When he's rewarded with only silence, he smacks the boy again, making him scream in pain.

"Say it!"

"No!"

 _Smack!_

"Say. It!"

Edd's crying now; "N-No…"

 _Smack! Smack! Yank!_

"Fucking _say it!_ "

Edd sobs, sniffling and hiccuping, "I…I…l-love…you…"

With another snarl, Terry shoves Edd backwards and down onto the floor. Those lovely words that he's longed to hear so damn long sound tainted; false.

"You better get used to those words, _Princess_ ," he warns, "You're gonna say it. And you're gonna fuckin' _like it._ " He leans in, tugging on the leash a bit to get Edd's attention. "And you're gonna _mean it._ "

With that, he storms out of the room to get back to work.

* * *

Thank god, the rest of his day goes by without incident. He doubts he could focus on anything strenuous. Too disappointed about his lack of progress with Edd. After all this time, why is he still fighting him? After everything he did for him? Especially taking him away from those horrible parents of his…Surely Eddy's mistaken. It's been a fucking _month_. How could _any_ parents not be worried about a kid as perfect as Edd? How could his parents not be concerned for their own child?

Maybe they really _don't_ love him?

He'd had his suspicions, sure, but he'd never expected those suspicions to be true. It's sad, really. Edd's holding out the hope of going home to see them again, but they're acting like they could care less if that ever happens. It's not right. _Well…good thing it won't_ _ **ever**_ _happen. Fuck 'em._

When he returns home after work, he follows the usual routine. Drop dinner off on the kitchen table and head for the bedroom. Opening the door, he finds Edd napping on the floor, stirring only when the door closes. Terry shoots him a smirk as he retrieves the ball gag and a bottle of lube.

"Bath time," he announces smugly.

With a sigh, Edd sits up a bit and opens his mouth. _The little Princess_ _ **really**_ _wants that bath…_ Like before, Terry has the boy walk on all fours as he leads the way to the bathroom. The red blush burning around the splotch of purple on Edd's face is fucking delightful. There's no way in hell that the kid will be able to put up with this humiliation _that_ long. Eventually, he'll come around again and give in. Apologize for putting Terry through so much hurt and tell him those pretty words he wants so badly to hear. Then they'll go back to being happy and in love and they can put this whole ugly mess behind them.

Reaching the bathroom, Terry focuses on locking the door behind him before removing the ball gag and the leash, but not the collar. Edd sighs softly, rubbing his jaw as Terry turns on the water in the tub. When it's warm enough, he pulls the tap so that the tub will fill up. A shower would be faster, sure, but a bath sounds much more fun. Glancing back at Edd, he spots the boy slowly rising to his feet and says nothing. When the boy notices him looking, he freezes, probably expecting a slap or something. Instead, Terry nods towards the sink. With another, more relieved sigh, Edd dashes to the sink and begins furiously scrubbing his hands. After a quick rinse, he vigorously brushes his teeth. It draws a chuckle from Terry as he stands up to undress himself. _Looks like this punishment is effective…_ Before removing his pants, he sets the bottle in the soap niche.

By the time the tub is full, Edd's already taken care of most of the mess, but there's still a mix of his pureed food, vomit, and semen left in his hair that he couldn't easily wash out at the sink. Shutting off the water, Terry retrieves a couple of towels from the closet. He'll probably have to take these out again at some point, but after Edd's wonderful behavior over the past few weeks, he'd not seen any point in it. _Oh well, works for tonight._ Setting the towels near the floor of the tub, he grabs Edd's arm and steps into the water with him. He takes his seat first and beckons Edd to sit in his lap. The boy's slender knees draw together in discomfort and he hesitates to actually follow the unspoken command. After a moment, however, he takes a deep breath and eases himself down, but refuses to face the man. No matter, Terry's not bothered in the least by the cold shoulder (at this point, he expects it) and instead grabs the shampoo to start washing the boy's hair for him.

After shoving Edd forward to dunk his head under the water and wet his hair — an act which leaves Edd whining and mumbling as close to curses as he can manage as he tries to rub his eyes — Terry lathers up the shampoo and begins scrubbing it into the boy's scalp. Edd whimpers a bit as Terry's fingers dig a bit to hard into his hair or jostle him a bit too much, but otherwise sits in silence, patiently waiting for Terry to finish. Once he feels that Edd's hair has been sudsed up enough, Terry shoves him forward again to have him rinse out the shampoo and laughs as Edd sits back up, covering his eyes to prevent any soap from getting in. While Edd grumbles his aggravation, Terry grabs one of the towels and lets the boy dry his face off.

Now that Edd's hair and face are clean, Terry decides it's about time to wash the rest of him, and grabs the bar of soap next to the lubricant. Pulling Edd flush against him, he rests his chin on the tiny shoulder and begins sliding the soap over the scrawny body. Starting with his chest and rubbing little circles as he nuzzles Edd's jaw, making his little Princess squirm a bit. With a groan, Edd tries to push his hands away.

"I can do that myself…" he grumbles, almost too soft to hear.

Terry grits his teeth, but doesn't retaliate violently. Wrapping one arm tight around Edd's waist, he leans into his ear.

"I'll let that slide for now," he growls, "Since I don't mind hearin' your pretty voice here in the tub." That gets the kid shivering again. "And I _know_ you can do that yourself, but I wanna do it instead. So I'm gonna."

Edd whines again, but seems to give in. _Good boy…_ He'll have to reward that. Licking his lips, he tilts his head so that he can start sucking his favorite marks along Edd's neck and shoulders. The collar proves to be an irritating obstruction, but it looks so pretty on his Princess that Terry finds that he can't be too upset by it. Naturally, Edd struggles a bit, his whimpering escalating as Terry's hands also begin to travel lower and lower.

"S-Stop," he whines, his breathing growing erratic.

Terry grins wickedly against his shoulder. Edd can deny it all he wants and act all mad or mortified, but a part of him is starting to enjoy this. Though his behavior still needs a lot of work, the training is at least working on his body. As Terry feels up his inner thighs and sucks mark after mark into his skin, he can hear Edd's whimpers turn to tiny moans. Leaning against Terry's chest, he seems to be trying to deny himself the pleasure, but is losing that battle.

Well, best take advantage of this arousal. Setting the soap aside, Terry grabs the lubricant. Edd notices this with a gasp and tries to scramble away, but Terry predicts that response. Putting one arm around Edd's neck and shoulders, he holds him down and leans into his ear.

"Sit up and put your hands on the edge of the tub," he commands softly.

"N-No!" Edd sobs back, struggling against the arm holding him down, "P-Please! Not that!"

"I aint gonna ask you again," Terry warns, tightening his grip around his neck,"Get up and put your hands on the edge of the tub."

Again, Edd sobs, but this time Terry feels him nod as well. He slowly release the boy from his grip, but keeps his hand on him at all times. Dragging his palm along Edd's chest, making sure the boy's aware that he'll be able to grab him again if he tries something other than what he's been told. With shaking legs and arms, Edd pushes himself up onto his knees and rests his hands on the edge of the tub in front of him near the faucet. Terry sits up as well, keeping his hand on Edd's hip as he rises to his knees as well. He leans over Edd for a moment to flip the tap so that the water begins to drain. While he waits, he spreads some of the lubricant over his fingers.

After the water level falls below Edd's ass to just about his mid-thigh, he flips the switch again to stop the drainage. With one hand on Edd's hip, Terry starts stretching him out. Grunting and whimpering, Edd's little toes curl and flinch as the man's fingers probe him. His knuckles are white on the porcelain edge and he's shaking in what Terry can only assume is pain. He hears the boy muttering something, but he can't quite hear it. So he just focuses on preparing him for things to come. When he feels that Edd's been stretched out enough, he lathers up his cock in the lube.

"Turn around," he commands as he strokes himself to full erection.

Edd's shoulders hunch in discomfort and he slowly turns, cringing at the sight of the man. Easing himself back down off of his knees, Terry grabs Edd's wrist and urges him into his lap so that the boy is straddling him this time. With a groan, Edd complies, covering his face a bit with his free hand as he's pushed down onto his knees. As Terry begins sliding his cock into Edd's ass, the boy's hands begin pushing against his chest. _Oh, so now he wants to fight?_ It does no good, of course, and only proceeds to prolong the inevitable as he's pushed down until the man is fully sheathed, at which point, all that Edd can do is dig his fingers into the broad chest. Chuckling, Terry yanks on the collar to make Edd sit up straight.

"Ride your master, Princess."

Whimpering, Edd shakes his head. Terry's distracted for a moment from his disobedience as the tight heat around his cock clenches for a moment before slowly relaxing again. He grimaces down at him.

"Fine."

Holding on tight to Edd's hips, he begins rocking the boy up and down on his dick, making Edd sob. The pain of Edd's nails digging harder and harder into his chest is lost on him as Terry begins rocking his hips up into Edd's. Pitiful sobbing mingles with low, sultry moans, and the sounds of skin slapping against skin syncs up with the water sloshing more and more around them. Terry feels Edd's damp hair pressing against his collar bone, followed by his hot forehead and the bridge of his nose exhaling wildly uneven puffs of air. Glancing down, he delights in the sight of his little beloved clinging to him in the throes of their passion.

Climax comes all too soon, but perhaps at the perfect time as he presses Edd down over him fully. As he begins to relax, he notices that the water has started to cool. Won't be long before it feels like they're sitting in ice. Edd pants heavily against his chest, still clinging to him and sobbing every now and then. Humming pleasantly, Terry lazily pets Edd's back, making the boy flinch.

Fuck, he can't let him get _too_ comfortable…

Gritting his teeth, he grabs the collar again and pulls on it to make Edd look at him.

"Kiss me," he commands.

Squinting up at him, Edd hesitates before shaking his head, mumbling his refusal. Growling a bit, Terry tugs on the collar again. Using that to keep him still, he forces a kiss onto him, drawing another muffled whine from the boy.

He'd love to stay like this all damn night if they could, but Edd's stomach suddenly growls, drawing their attention and breaking their kiss. Rolling his eyes, Terry lets him go and helps him up and off of his cock. He allows Edd to step out of the tub while he drains the water and he follows shortly after. The towels near the tub are a bit wet from the water splashing out of the tub, so Terry grabs a couple more to effectively dry them both off. Once they're dry, he reattaches the leash and dons his robe before escorting Edd back to the bedroom. He can take care of his clothes and shit later.

Then it's back to the kitchen to retrieve their dinner. Like last night, he purées Edd's meal and puts it in a bowl. When he presents it to Edd, the boy is again disgusted.

"May I _please_ have something else?" he asks weakly.

After a quick smack for daring to talk without permission, Terry explains.

" _This_ is how you'll be fed from now on, Princess," he growls, "At least till you start behaving again."

Despite this, though, Terry decides to show him a bit of 'mercy', and offers him a bite of his own food in exchange for sucking him off. For a brief moment, the boy looks tempted. His gaze lingers longer on Terry's plate before slowly drifting to his own and his tears as he begins shoving the mush into his mouth look less angry and more sorrowful and reluctant. It's a little irritating, for sure, but Terry finds himself satisfied as well. _Just a matter of time…_

Once they've finished eating, with Edd looking just as sick as the night before, Terry sets their dishes aside and retires to bed. Fuck if he doesn't want to bring Edd into bed with him tonight, but he knows he can't. No more genuine mercy. If his punishment is going to sink in, he has to make sure Edd suffers enough to miss what he had and behave better to get it back.

Yeah, it shouldn't take much longer.


	19. Ch 18 - Lesser of Bro Evils

" _Well? What's it gonna be, Princess?_ "

It's been about a week or so since Edd's little escape attempt, during which time, Terry has continued his inhumane treatments. Whenever the boy put a toe even _slightly_ out of line, Terry would retaliate swiftly and violently. Hitting him for speaking without permission for even a moment. Kicking him back to the floor for attempting to rise to his feet. Beating him when he'd make a mess with his food or deny his commands. And leaving him naked and freezing on the floor of the bedroom. By now, Edd only speaks when given express permission — typically when Terry's fucking him — and is otherwise silent at all times. Due to the one meal a day diet, he's become horribly weak from hunger and is virtually unable to resist any of Terry's demands, but there's still a lot of reluctance.

The days ended up getting regrettably repetitive. Wake up, shower, drop Edd off in the bathroom, head to work, come back to tease Edd with food at lunch, back to work, come home, fuck the kid either in the tub or in his bed, tie him back to his post, go to sleep. During his days off, he'd have a chance to take care of the most basic of housework, namely laundry. Of course, he's never worried about cleaning much past that, and if he had the choice, he wouldn't bother with even that much. But he still needs to wash his clothes and his towels every now and then, so it's necessary whether he likes it or not. And, naturally, he's gotta pick up some groceries for those days off, so that would help to mix things up a little, at least.

Work has calmed down a bit, becoming more annoying than anything. Gone are the days of short pants as a chill permeates the air, but it definitely hasn't put a stop to the visitors. Kids from the nearby town will still spend their days after school (and sometimes when they should still be _in_ school) in the park, and the helicopter parents are ever present on the weekends and afternoons. His coworkers aren't prying anymore, including Dave. Their break conversations have now gone back to bitching about their more obnoxious guests. And whenever Dave has decided to take a 'personal day', he'll hang around whatever station Adam is working at. As usual, he doesn't say much, but he's got cigarettes to spare and will just sit back and let Terry vent.

Eddy's phone calls are more sporadic than before. Apparently, his little 'improve the bike' scam didn't go over as well as his little brother hoped it would, landing the twerp in more trouble than before. Not only did he get detention again for more fighting, but he also took a serious beating from this 'Shovel Chin' kid. Their folks weren't too happy about it either, landing him with a couple weeks of being grounded on top of everything else. He doesn't report much whenever he calls to talk. More of the same. Sometimes he'll complain about Edd's parents. That they're still not treating the situation as seriously as they _should_ be. That they're still acting like everything's normal. The rage in the boy's voice is unmistakable and, if Terry cared at all, even a bit concerning.

To that end, his mother had called with her own concerns…

" _Terry, please…_ " she'd begged, " _I'm so worried about your brother…_ "

"So, the squirt's gettin' into some scraps," Terry snorted back, "What's the big, damn deal?"

" _The big deal,_ " she stressed, her tone growing more irritable, " _Is that Eddy's acting out. Fighting at school, making trouble, letting his grades slip._ "

"Since when was the little Pipsqueak getting 'good grades'?"

" _That's not the point and you know it._ _Terry, please. I know it'd make him feel better if you just came to visit._ "

"Too bad. I know I ain't welcome there for real and, besides, I got my own shit to worry about. So forget it."

" _It wouldn't_ _ **kill**_ _you to take time out to come home for a day at least!_ "

On and on it went, with her pleading with him to come home and him continuing to deny her. After enough badgering, however, he finally gave in.

"Oh, fuck me! Fine!" he snapped into the receiver, "If it'll get you off my fuckin' back…" He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he gathered himself. "I'll _think_ about comin' home for Christmas, alright? But I'm busy as fuck right now so there aint no way I can make it any earlier than that."

His mother hadn't been pleased by this compromise, but it seemed to be enough to assuage her for the time being.

" _Okay,_ " she agreed, " _At the very least, it'll be a nice present for Eddy if you were to come home for the holidays. But you_ _ **better**_ _keep your word, Terry. He's been through enough this year…_ "

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…"

And so it was agreed…sort of. Oh well. With that out of the way, he was able to put all his focus on Edd.

What good timing, too. Finally, after all this time — all this effort and all this frustration — he's starting to see results. It started slow, with timid compliance to Terry's demands, such as less and less hesitation during sex, fewer angry looks in his direction, and more ease in murmuring Terry's favorite words. All of which culminates in the act of submission that Terry's observing this night. Watching from the bed as he waits for Edd to make his daily decision between the purée and Terry's cock. As usual, he doesn't speak. Doesn't ask if he can have anything else. Tears fall silent down his cheeks as his tired eyes look between Terry and the bowl of mush.

"Well? What's it gonna be, Princess?"

At last — at _fucking_ last! — he wills his shaking body to move and hobbles on his hands and knees over to the bed. Grinning in twisted delight, Terry waits for him to kneel before him, his head bowed in what's likely a mix of shame and exhaustion. He can now hear Edd's haggard breathing and see that his bruised face is a fiery red. Worrying his swollen lower lip between his teeth, Edd grasps Terry's leg with both hands. Finally, he turns his red, glassy eyes to look up at the man and pauses, searching his face.

"Yes?" Terry purrs, his brow cocked.

Edd swallows thickly.

"P-Please…" he mumbles, his voice hoarse and aching, "M-May I…M-May I _please_ have some of…y- _your_ dinner?" He pauses again before adding softly. "M-Master?"

 _Fuck yes…_ Humming thoughtfully, Terry strokes his goatee as he pretends to think it over, if only to see the hope and dread in those pretty, green eyes.

"Are you _sure?_ " he asks in a mocking tone as he spreads his legs a bit wider, "Even if it means sucking me off?"

As Terry begins stroking himself, Edd cringes and bows his head, resting his forehead against the man's knee as he looks away for a moment.

"Y…Yes…Master."

"Well then…" Terry chuckles, grabbing Edd's wrist and pulling him between his legs, "go ahead, Princess. Get me off and I'll let you eat all you want."

Releasing the tiny wrist, Terry leans back to watch as the boy fidgets a bit. Gulping down a big breath, Edd slowly opens his mouth. Without Terry forcing him as he usually does, Edd goes at a timid pace. Unsurprisingly, he doesn't use his tongue at first. His eyes are shut tightly as he strokes what he can't fit in his mouth.

"Look at me," Terry coos, nearly chuckling at the cringe that gets him.

Brow furrowed, Edd peeks up at him. As Terry gazes back into his tired, miserable eyes, he places his hand on the boy's head. Finally that hot little tongue grazes his cock, sending a shiver down Terry's spine and drawing a short gasp from him. When he recovers from that momentary shock, he sighs, carding his fingers through Edd's slightly damp hair. With his other hand, he clutches the sheets in his fist and tries not to move his hips. Can't make it too easy on the kid, after all.

"Good boy…" he moans, his eyes drifting closed, "Keep goin', Princess…"

The praise seems to help as Edd begins bobbing his head next. _Fuuuuuuuck yes…_ As he continues, Terry gives up any hopes of restraining himself as he starts rocking his hips. Edd whimpers a bit in protest, but otherwise doesn't resist. _That's more like it…_ He loses himself to the pleasure. Both from being blown by his pretty little Princess and from the knowledge that his efforts are finally paying off. Granted, he's thought that before, but after everything that he's done to the boy, surely it's actually starting to take effect now? And the proof is between his legs, urging him closer and closer to climax. He continues mumbling words of encouragement, keeping his hand on Edd's head to hold him in place. Not that he needs to, of course. He's doing _such_ a good job without him applying any force.

"Almost there, darlin'," he groans, arching his back a bit, "Just a little more."

Forcing his eyes open, he looks down at the boy again and is overcome with desire at the sight. His little beloved; willingly kneeling between his legs and doing his damnedest to please him. So fuckin' beautiful. His teeth clench and his grip on the back of Edd's head tightens considerably as he orgasms. Again, he hears Edd whimper, but pays it no mind since the kid's still not resisting. Once he's relaxed, he lets Edd pull away. Immediately, Edd covers his mouth, gulping a few times. Either trying to swallow down the man's semen or trying not to vomit. Or maybe both. After a moment, he calms as well, and looks up at Terry patiently.

"Alright, sweetheart," Terry snickers, retrieving his keys from his robe, "A deal's a deal."

Producing the key for the leash, he frees Edd from the restraint, leaving the leash in place, and pats the spot beside him on the bed.

"C'mon up and sit with Master," he orders.

With a soft sigh, Edd follows the command and climbs onto the mattress. As Terry grabs the bag, he notices the boy petting the sheets out of the corner of his eye, but not touching them much otherwise. Terry shoots him a smug grin.

"Sit in Master's lap," he orders sweetly, "And let me feed you."

Edd's shoulders slump a bit, but he crawls over to the man. Terry can feel him shivering now as Edd settles his frigid little body into his lap, but the moment their skin meets, the boy finally relaxes. Sinking his weight into Terry's chest, he sighs and soaks in the man's warmth. Chuckling under his breath, Terry supports Edd's back with his arm as he places his hand on his shoulder.

"See now?" he breathes, "Don't it feel good to just do what Master says?"

After a moment, Edd gives a shy nod as he wraps his scrawny arms around the man's chest. Pleased, Terry strokes Edd's shoulder with his thumb as he opens the bag with his free hand. The greasy smell of bite-sized shrimp makes Edd swoon and his eyelids flutter. As he withdraws the medium-sized, cardboard cup of food, he can feel the little puffs of Edd's panting breaths and hear his tiny whimpers. He lets Edd take the first bite, holding the morsel to his lips and watching in twisted delight as the boy opens his mouth to accept the food.

The first solid food in days seems to be a foreign sensation that takes Edd a few moments to grow accustomed to again. Fuckin' adorable. It provides some nice entertainment as Terry pops his own bite into his mouth. They continue back and forth until the bag is empty. Crumpling it up, Terry nudges Edd to move, which he's happy to note the boy does reluctantly. Standing from the bed, he takes the bag ball and the abandoned bowl of mush and sets them on the dresser to deal with in the morning. For now…

Turning back to Edd, he returns to the bed.

"Alright, get down," he commands, "Time for bed."

This time, Edd hesitates, fidgeting as he bows his head. Gritting his teeth, Terry storms over to him.

"I told you to get down!"

Eyes wide in a frenzied panic, Edd backs away a bit before holding his arms up over his head.

"W-Wait! Please!" he begs, quivering.

Grabbing Edd's arm, Terry jerks him forward, making him cry out.

"Get your ass back on the fucking floor!"

Edd sobs back, trying to pry the man's hand off of him.

"P-Please!" he cries, "L-Let me sleep with you!"

That gets Terry's attention. He slackens his grip slightly, letting Edd calm himself a bit.

"What'd you say?" he asks with a sneer.

Sniffling, the boy looks up at him.

"P-Please!," he begs softly, "M-May I sleep in your bed?"

Terry regards him suspiciously; "Oh? You _really_ wanna sleep with master tonight?"

"Y-Yes!" Edd whimpers, cowering a bit as Terry leans over him, "P-Please" — he cringes a bit — "master…I-I want to sleep with…you!"

Gritting his teeth, Terry pauses, thinking carefully about what to do. It's so fucking tempting. Especially with that pitiful look directed at him. But then again…

Standing straight, he crosses his arms over his chest; "What makes you think you _deserve_ it?"

Brow furrowed, Edd stares back at him.

"After what you did," Terry snarls, squeezing Edd's arm, "And all those _lies_ …What makes you think you _deserve_ comfort? What makes you think you deserve _anything?!_ "

Edd whines in pain, his fingers prying desperately against Terry's; "P-Please!"

"Answer me!"

But no, Edd doesn't respond right away, instead whimpering and blubbering as he mumbles half-formed pleas. After a moment of Edd's stuttering silence, Terry jerks him forward.

"If you're not gonna say anything," he snarls, jerking him to the floor, "then get down."

As he drags the boy back over to the floor tie, Edd struggles to pull away.

"N-No! Please!" he cries, "I-I'll do anything!"

Grimacing, Terry stops and glances at him.

"Is that right?"

Cringing, Edd looks up at him, forcing himself to nod. Terry turns to him fully, his brow cocked as he cups the boy's chin to make Edd look at him.

"Tell me you love me," he orders.

Edd winces, his face scrunching up in displeasure. With a growl, Terry squeezes his chin harder.

"Say it," he commands, "And I'll let you sleep in my bed tonight."

Sobbing softly, Edd wraps his little hands around Terry's wrist. He forces his eyes open to look up at him.

"Y-Yes," he breathes, "I-I love you. I love you, Master."

Terry fights back the laughter that threatens to bubble up within him and forces himself to grimace.

"I dunno if I believe that," he grumbles, shoving him away, "Sounds kinda forced to me — like you're just sayin' it." The little wail that gets him nearly breaks his angry facade. "How do I know you _mean_ it?"

"Please!" Edd sobs, scrambling over to Terry's feet and grabbing his leg, "Wh-What do you _want_ from me?!"

"Hmm…" Terry hums wickedly as he strokes his goatee.

After a moment, he yanks his foot away and begins circling him as he twirls the keys on his finger.

"I want you to submit to me."

He notices Edd gazing up at him with a look he can't discern, but it doesn't matter much what's going through his little head. As long as the kid's listening, that's all that matters.

"Apologize for what you've done and what you've said," he continues, "And swear that you'll never run from me again."

Shoulders slumping and head bowing low, Edd pauses hesitates again.

"Y-Yes…" he mumbles, "I-I'm sorry…"

Terry stops circling to glare down at him; "Sorry for _what?_ "

Whimpering a bit, Edd reaches up to begin tugging at the hair near his temple. His fingers twitch every now and then as if he's trying to touch something else, but always go back to pulling on his hair.

"I…I'm sorry…" he whimpers, "F-For trying to r-run…" He swallows thickly. "A-And for what I s-said…I…I won't do it again. I-I swear."

Chuckling softly, Terry stands straight.

"Alright," he purrs as he retrieves the handcuffs and the chains, "In that case, we're gonna need _these_ again."

The sight of the glinting metal makes Edd pale a bit, but he gives a weary, timid nod. Letting Terry pull him back to his feet, he shows no resistance to being ushered back to the bed.

And so begins a night of passion unlike anything Terry's experienced in nearly a week. Once Edd's properly restrained, Terry decides he'd like to take his time. Truly enjoy every last inch of skin laid before him. The already scrawny body is beginning to look even smaller, but the boy's hips are still plush with that adorable baby fat that makes them so fun to squeeze and pinch. To really get the boy squirming, he starts with long, tender kisses that leave Edd desperately sucking in air. The crispy, batter-dipped shrimp is the only thing he can taste on Edd's tongue, but the very fact that it's his little Princess makes it sweet as candy. Breaking away from Edd's lips, he sucks and nibbles along the slender neck and around the collar, breathing in the minty-sweet scent from their shower. As he trails his hands down Edd's sides, the tiny chest heaves with the boy's panting breath. He pushes Edd's quivering legs open and wraps them around his own hips. The warmth of Edd's thighs draws a sigh from him, which he breathes into the boy's ear.

Unrelenting heat pulses beneath his fingers as he strokes the small cock to erection. Finally, he starts hearing those pretty sounds he loves so damn much slip from Edd's lips. Wanton moans and lilting whimpers stumble forth amidst his panting. He's more hasty in preparing Edd for the penetration. He removes the shackles first and instead handcuffs his wrists to give Edd a short break from the uncomfortable position. Snatching a bottle of lubricant — fuck, he's gonna have to pick up more of that soon — and coating his fingers in it. Stretching out Edd's tight little hole and watching his fists and toes clench in discomfort. Spreading the lube over his own cock and stroking himself to full erection. Licking his lips, he guides his cock past the tight ring of muscle, grunting and panting against the resistance. As he puts Edd's arms around his neck and pulls his body flush against him, he whispers encouraging words into his ear. Murmuring his praise and kissing his cheek to help him relax.

Rocking against the small, writhing body is fucking heavenly. As far as he's concerned, they fit together like the most perfect puzzle. Edd's face is buried in his shoulder as he pants and whimpers. Gritting his teeth slightly, Terry grabs the back of his head to make Edd look at him before he leans down to crush their lips together. Their teeth clack and grind against each other as he tries to stick his tongue down the boy's throat. Little pinpricks make themselves known along his shoulders as Edd digs his sharp little nails into his back. _Gonna have to trim those…_ Other than that, he's lost in pleasure. The bed rocks and shakes beneath them, hitting the wall behind the headboard. If not for the foam, he's sure it'd be creating a loud _bang_ with each of his thrusts.

With his orgasm approaching, he decides to reach between them to help Edd along as well. It's then that he's delighted to find that his little Princess is enjoying himself almost as much as he is. As a reward, he peppers kisses to his lips and neck as he strokes the rigid flesh of Edd's cock. That gets the boy going damn good. Moaning for him and crying out his name as he tries rocking his hips to meet his thrusts. He urges Edd to his climax first, drawing a strangled whine from the boy as his body is violently shaken by the pleasure. Abandoning his grip on the small cock, Terry instead uses both of his hands to grab Edd's hips, holding him down tight enough to bruise as his entire body tenses with his orgasm. Pressing himself against Edd's body, the only parts of him that are actually moving are his hips, which spasm uncontrollably amidst that sweet release. They remain connected for several long, heavenly minutes, simply unable to move.

When Terry's body finally relaxes, he forces himself to lay with most of his weight off of Edd, but the cuffs demand their bodies remain together. Their labored breathing prevents any further discussion for now (whatever the fuck that might've been), but after a few moments to calm down, Terry cradles Edd against himself. Burying his nose in the boy's messy hair and nuzzling him. Entangling their lower limbs to the point that he's not sure where either of them begin or end at the moment. Gazing down at the blissfully pained face, he sighs.

"So beautiful…" he breathes, kissing Edd's temple, "My Princess…I love you so much…"

He almost doesn't notice the boy's eyes growing wide as Edd blinks a few times before his little brow furrows. With a timid gulp, Edd glances up at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Wh…Why…?" he stutters, his breathing more uneven than before, "Y-You don't…don't even know me…A-And I don't know…y-you…"

Nuzzling Edd's temple, Terry closes his eyes: "I know all I need to know, _Princess._ "

There's a long pause. If he didn't know any better, he might've thought Edd had fallen asleep.

" _All I know is your name…? I-I don't know who you_ _ **are…**_ "

"So?" Terry opens his eyes again to actually look at the boy, "All you need to know is that you're mine. Once you accept that, I'll be able to make your life nice and happy. That's what I want more than anything…" He starts kissing along Edd's temple to his cheek. "I'll make you so happy if you just _let me._ "

Sitting up just a little, he grabs the hair at the top of Edd's head and holds him down. He doesn't hide the grimace that his next words bring.

"All you need to do is play the part of the perfect little pet I _know_ you can be," he hisses, "Once you do, I'll make you feel happier than you've ever felt before. Once you get used to being mine, I'll make you feel more _loved_ than you've ever felt before." He grins wickedly. "So much more than you _ever_ felt back home."

Edd's startled by that, his eyes wide as the man's last words sink in.

"Wh…What do you mean?" he mumbles, "I-I was loved _so_ much at home!"

Terry scoffs; "Yeah right. You've never known love for even a second with those two." Slipping his arm under Edd's back, he leans back down until their noses are nearly touching. " _I'll_ make you feel loved for _real._ "

"I…I don't…" Edd whimpers, his head shaking a bit, "Wh-What are you—"

"Shhh…" Terry coos, using his other hand to stroke the boy's cheek, "Sleep now, my little Princess. No more talking."

Flinching, Edd opens his mouth to protest, but quickly shuts himself up again before he can utter another word. His body relaxes a bit as he gives a reluctant nod. _Good._ Content, Terry settles back down so that he's half lying beside him, half atop him, and nuzzles his neck.

 _The perfect way to fall asleep._


	20. Ch 19 - A Bro's Paradise

The next few days are fuckin' heaven. Waking up with his Princess nestled in his embrace is the perfect start to every morning (well, that and some excellent sex in the shower). He remains cautious, of course, but Terry's pleased to note that Edd's behavior is finally improving. No more fighting back against his demands. No more angry, ugly looks or hateful lies muttered under his breath. In fact, for the most part, Edd's been silent. He'd been a bit worried at first. He'd slipped up a bit too much that night; letting Edd speak without his permission. But god dammit, it felt so damn good to cuddle up with his obedient little pet after a round of such satisfying sex! How could he _honestly_ be expected to lash out at his precious darling after he'd been so subservient to him before that? When he could once again hold his Princess in his arms while he slept?

 _Yeah, that's what it was…_

Oh well. It doesn't seem to have negatively affected Edd's behavior, at least. To be absolutely sure, Terry doubled down after that night, making sure Edd wouldn't dare speak again unless given express permission by him. After about a week, he feels comfortable calling that lesson learned. So much so that he decides it's about time to implement some rewards to encourage the behavior he was starting to see: specifically at night. When Edd chooses him over the mush, he lets him talk without much retaliation. Edd's too timid to talk his ear off, but he'll try to ask the occasional questions. _Who are you really? How do you know me? Why are you doing this to me?_ That last one had gotten a bit frustrating to hear, resulting in a sharp smack whenever it was brought up.

Edd stopped asking after a couple of tries.

When Edd tells him he loves him, Terry lets him sleep in the bed with him. Whether or not that could technically be considered a reward is somewhat questionable. If asked, Terry would claim that it _is_ — that he's allowing Edd a night of comfort for telling him what he wants to hear — but in all reality, it's more of an indulgence for himself. That adorable little body snuggled up against his own is just too perfect. So why _not_ use a reward as an excuse to give himself what he wants most?

But it's not _all_ rewards, of course. No, he's still quite sure that Edd won't be coerced with rewards alone. He's still got to make Edd hurt when he disobeys him. Whenever Edd slips up or shows him anything less than total obedience, he smacks him around until he's whimpering and prostrating himself before him in his efforts to repent. As time passes, though, he does start to show _some_ leniency. Edd starts to learn that adjusting his own behavior and apologizing the _second_ he steps out of line will lead to Terry rewarding him for that adjustment. And so he begins to act accordingly, walking on eggshells and tiptoeing around Terry's tantrums. It's the improvement that Terry had been working so hard to see. He now dreaded the possibility of punishment and yearned for the reward. It made him do better. Made him _be_ better.

As Edd's change in behavior continues to progress, the need for the leash dwindles away to nothing. It's still fun to tug him along like the adorable little pet he is, but Terry finds that there's not much need for it anymore. Still, he knows better than to get rid of the leash entirely. There's still that thought in the back of his mind that this could all come crashing down again if he cuts the kid too much slack. All in all, though, things are starting to look up.

* * *

It's a day like any other. He's off work, so after getting up at a leisurely time and enjoying a delightful shower with Edd, Terry decides to try something new. He's got to pick up some groceries today anyway. Might as well invest in a new type of reward to stir things up.

"Tell me, Princess…" he purrs as he adjusts the plaid shirt over himself and turns towards the boy resting amidst his sheets.

Edd perks up a bit, his eyes wide and attentive. _Damn right he's giving his full attention._ Pleased, Terry takes a step towards him.

"What's somethin' you've just been _cravin'_ lately?" Terry asks, his brow cocked.

Perhaps that's not the best wording? Edd just stares back at him, his face scrunched in confusion. Well, yeah, there are probably several answers to that which have nothing at all to do with his intention. Best elaborate…

"If you could have _any_ tasty lil snack," he continues, leaning against the mattress, "Anything at all…what would it be?"

Edd gasps softly and sits up a little more; "A-Anything…?"

"Yeah," Terry retorts with a purr, cupping the boy's chin and stroking his cheek with his thumb, "Whatever you want."

Releasing Edd again, Terry stands straight to wait for him to answer. Edd bites his lip, thinking carefully for a moment as he bows his head in search of an answer within the sheets below him.

"A-An apple!" he replies after a moment before pouting and sitting back, "No…M-Maybe…a pear…? Mango…Honestly, any kind of fruit sounds heavenly. Perhaps a fruit salad?" Holding his own cheek, he furrows his brow. "For that matter, a regular salad would be amazing too." He smiles a bit, closing his eyes blissfully. "Leafy greens and crunchy carrots…or a warm bowl of vegetable soup!"

Terry doesn't interrupt him. It's fuckin' adorable watching him ramble on about foods he likes. He'll have to keep them all in mind for later too. The list doesn't last nearly long enough, though, as Edd falters when he seems to realize he was going on and on. His face burns a cute pinkish red as he withdraws shyly.

"O-Or…something like that…" he mumbles.

"Alright, then," Terry murmurs, stroking his goatee.

He notices Edd fidgeting; "I-If I may…Wh-Why do you ask…Master?"

Terry shoots Edd a bit of a grimace and gives him a quick, sharp slap. Crying out, Edd cringes and bows his head contritely, his little hands coming up to cover his mouth as he cowers. _Good response._ Relaxing a bit, Terry turns toward the bedside table.

"Aside from speaking out of turn just now, you've been a very good boy lately," he explains as he opens the drawer. He just notices Edd slowly sitting up again out of the corner of his eye. "So I've been thinkin' it's about time to give my little pet a nice treat."

No response to that, but he has a feeling Edd's only half listening. The drawer _does_ tend to make him uncomfortable…Terry searches through the many toys before settling finally on one of the dildos. This time, however, he decides to use one that's slightly larger than what he'd started the kid with.

"Okay, Princess, here's the deal," he begins slyly as he grabs a bottle of lube as well, "I'm goin' out for a bit to pick up a few things. Won't be long, but while I'm gone, you're gonna play with this."

As expected, Edd looks uncomfortable with this notion, but gives a nod in understanding.

"Good boy," Terry chuckles, shoving the toy and the bottle into Edd's hands, "And _since_ I won't be gone long, I'll even let you stay here instead of the bathroom — let you get nice 'n comfy while you get down 'n dirty."

Edd shivers a bit, but keeps his head bowed as he nods again.

"And if I come home to find you using it," Terry adds, "I'll give you a special treat."

That certainly gets his attention. Glancing back up at the man, Edd searches his face (perhaps for deceit). Terry's grin turns sour as he leans in towards him again.

"Course, if I come home and you _aint_ been usin' it," he snarls, "Then you'll have to be punished."

Wide-eyed, Edd gives a frightened nod; "Y-Yes sir…"

Pleased, Terry holds him still to get in a quick peck to his lips. Stroking the boy's jaw, he gives him a sickly sweet smile.

"Tell me you love me," he orders with a coo.

There's a bit of resistance as Edd tries to lower his head again, but not a lot of hesitation.

"I love you, Master…"

After one last kiss, Terry stands straight again.

"Good boy."

With that, he pockets his keys and grabs his wallet. Then he's out the door.

As he steps out of his trailer, he lets out a muttered curse. It's dreary as fuck today. Overcast skies and a chill in the air that welcomes a sleepy rain to descend upon the park. Damn, he almost wishes he didn't have the day off. This is the best kind've weather for an amusement park employee! (Keeps the guests away). Oh well, maybe it'll continue for a few days so that he can have an easy week? Traffic is just as congested as ever around this time of day, but it's not nearly as irritating as it usually is. Though that might just be because he's finally in a good mood?

Walking into the store, he's met by display stands piled high with Halloween candy and costumes. If he gave a shit about Halloween past the pranks, scary movies, and scaring the shit out've little brats, he might find himself enthused by the sight. But now it just seems like an inconvenience that's dawning on him. Not that he has to actually 'worry' about any of that, though. The park _does_ do trick-or-treating, but they don't let the kids wander around the trailers lookin' for their candy. So it's not like he has to worry about preparing for that any time soon. Chocolate sounds pretty good, though…

First thing's first, he heads over to the produce section. He decides to grab an assortment of the different fruits Edd listed off. Apples, pears, mangos — only the sweetest he can think of. He also decides to grab a container of strawberries before moving on to the veggies. A head of lettuce, a handful of carrots, a few tomatoes, and so on. All the fixin's for a simple salad. It feels foreign to be purchasing these things, but if it'll help mold Edd into the ideal pet, it'll be worth it. Once he's collected all the healthy shit, then it's off through the rest of the store to pick up the essentials; bread, beer, deli meats, chips. All the junk food he can snack on instead of actually preparing anything. The last few things he grabs are a can of whipped cream and a bottle of chocolate syrup. Gotta have somethin' to pair with the strawberries, after all.

Back to the trailer, he brings the groceries in and stows away anything that needs to be refrigerated, leaving anything else on the table and counter. Jittery with anticipation, he then returns to the bedroom. He's almost too eager to unlock the door. Too eager to see what Edd's been up to.

And fuck! He's _too_ happy with what he finds!

His lovely little darling sprawled out upon his bed, looking momentarily spent. His face reflects a deep contentment with his eyes shut blissfully and his pretty pink lips open slightly, allowing him to pant heavily. On his right lays the dildo, covered in a shiny coat of the lubricant and just barely out of reach of his fingers. His other hand is wrapped weakly around his softening cock and his chest is heaving. As Terry slips into the room, he notices Edd's toes clenching and unclenching and his face contort and relax with each breath as he begins to calm. With a wicked grin, Terry approaches the bed.

"Now aint that just the prettiest sight…" he purrs.

He chuckles as Edd nearly jumps out of his skin, bolting upright and trying and failing to cover himself up.

"Aww…why so shy?" Terry coos, crawling onto the bed with him, "You know that's how I _wanna_ see you…"

Whimpering, Edd shakes his head.

"I-It's…e-embarrassing…" he mumbles, trying to hide his blushing face.

"Embarrassing?" Terry echoes with a mocking laugh. Leaning over Edd, he moves the boy's hands away, "Bullshit." He leans into Edd's ear. "That's how your lover _should_ see you."

Edd groans softly, looking no less mortified, but says nothing more. Dragging his hands down the boy's sides, Terry peppers Edd's shoulders with kisses. In response, Edd brings his hands up to push lightly against the man's shoulders.

"Are you hungry, Princess?" Terry breathes, pressing his body against Edd's own.

"Y-Yes…M-Master…" he murmurs, "M-May I p-please have something to eat?"

"Well, of _course_ ," Terry snickers, rubbing Edd's hip, "I got us a special little snack while I was out today. I just know you're gonna _love_ it."

As he pushes himself up, he notices that Edd doesn't look very convinced by that statement. Not yet, at least. Before he can push himself off the bed, Edd wraps his hands around Terry's wrist.

"What?" Terry asks with a sneer.

"M-May I please use the lavatory?" Edd asks softly, "I-If I'm going to eat…I-I'd like to…t-to at least wash my hands first?"

Ah yes, Edd's germaphobic tendencies had proven quite difficult to be completely rid of. Oh well, it's a reasonable compromise. With a shrug, Terry grabs the ball gag. He considers grabbing the leash, but it'll be faster to just escort him without it. After securing the gag, he takes Edd to the bathroom. He doesn't hover around him this time, instead waiting by the door. Of course, Edd doesn't dawdle, and, after relieving himself and washing his hands, Edd returns to him again so they can leave.

Once he's got the kid locked back up in the bedroom, he returns to the kitchen. After giving the strawberries a thorough rinse and removing the leaves — he's never quite known the reason for this. He just always remembers his mother doing the same thing — he puts them into a bowl and takes them, the chocolate, and the whipped cream back to the bedroom. Edd's waiting on the bed, fidgeting with the sheets as Terry walks in. He looks up when the door opens and looks surprised by the foodstuffs the man's carrying. Shooting Edd a smirk, Terry sets everything down on the bedside table.

"See?" he chuckles, "I told ya you'd love it."

Before anything else, he begins undressing. Edd sits up and moves a little closer to the bowl, but he doesn't try to touch anything just yet. As Terry strips down, he curses himself for not picking up any candles. That woulda set the mood damn well. Eh, fuck it. The strawberries and cream will be more than enough to get his little Princess ready for some romance. Crawling onto the bed, he settles in beside Edd and grabs the bowl to bring it closer.

"Don't they look yummy?" he breathes, nuzzling Edd's temple.

He doesn't need Edd to answer. The low grumble from the boy's belly and the drool accumulating at the corners of his mouth say more than a thousand words ever could. Grinning wickedly, he grabs the first strawberry and holds it towards Edd's pouting lips. He decides to first tease him with the sweet taste by letting him wrap his lips around the fruit, but pulling it away again just before he can sink his teeth into the supple, red flesh. Edd looks to him with a pout, but he seems to know what the man really wants from him. Thus, he allows himself to be pulled forward so that Terry can place a gentle kiss to his lips. Satisfied, Terry finally lets him have that first bite.

The expression on Edd's face is fucking perfection. Pure ecstasy and bliss as the unique mixture of sweet and tart explode in his mouth. Terry can't help but lean in for another kiss. Edd's lips are instantly sticky from the strawberry juices, but it only adds to the taste he's grown so damn addicted to. He can feel the prickle of a few seeds, but they're barely noticeable amidst the texture of the fruit skin and the saccharine juice. When he releases Edd again, he lets him finish off what little bite is left.

While Edd enjoys the little morsel, Terry decides to move on. Rather than grab another strawberry, he instead picks up the can of whipped cream. Starting small, he first dabs a bit of the cream onto his finger, beckoning Edd to come closer. Confused, Edd looks between the finger presented to him and Terry's face before pouting a little.

"C'mon, Princess," Terry purrs, "Open wide and lick it off."

Brow furrowed, Edd sighs softly and hunches his shoulders before opening his mouth. With a reluctant look, he leans forward to follow the command. The hot little tongue laps tentatively against his finger, which draws the man to chuckle.

"Don't that taste good with the strawberries?"

Swallowing thickly, Edd nods.

"Y-Yes, sir."

Terry tilts Edd's chin up; "And what do you say to your loving master who has so kindly given you this wonderful gift?"

Hunching his shoulders, Edd's face burns as he pouts.

"Th-Thank you, Master…"

Terry hums, satisfied with that answer; "And what will you do for your master in return?"

He can feel the boy trembling a bit.

"W-Whatever you want…" Edd mumbles back, "Master…"

"That's right," Terry sits up to grab the bottle of chocolate syrup, "And you'll do it happily, won't you?"

"Y…Yes, sir…"

"Good." Flipping open the lid, he hands Edd the bottle. "So here's what we're gonna do; I want you to pour this on yourself. Then I'll lick it off."

Edd stares back at him, looking horrified by the very suggestion. Terry grits his teeth and clenches his fist.

"What's with that look?" he snarls.

Wincing, Edd holds up the bottle like a shield over his face.

"I-I'm sorry!" he whimpers, "It's just…Th-that sounds so…s-so unsanitary!"

"It ain't been _that_ long since our shower," Terry retorts.

"Well…y-yes, that's true, but…" Edd whines a bit, "It would be so messy too. It might get on the sheets — and chocolate and strawberries can be such difficult stains to get out, so I truly believe that it would be in our best interest…not…to…"

He shrinks back again as he realizes he's rambling again. Rolling his eyes, Terry takes the bottle from him.

"Alright, if you don't want me lickin' it off _you…_ " he begins with a grumble before giving him a devious grin, "Then you'll just have to lick it off _me._ "

Edd's already red face burns even brighter as Terry begins drizzling the syrup over his own chest. He doesn't pour too much. Edd's clearly going to have a few reservations, so he's got to start small. Whining softly, Edd covers his mouth.

"If you're so damn worried about the mess," Terry sneers, "I suggest you get to lickin'."

Searching his face, Edd reluctantly sits up. Clearly he's pushing the kid well past his comfort zone. Edd's never done anything even remotely similar to this in his entire life. Perhaps another slight concession to ease him into it a little better? He nods to the bowl.

"Go ahead and have some strawberries too," he offers, "Chocolate n' strawberries are a tasty fuckin' combo."

That seems to be the push he needs. Taking a deep breath, Edd reaches a shaky hand into the bowl to retrieve one of the more plump and juicy strawberries before turning to Terry. He refuses to make eye contact as he audibly gulps and gnaws on his lower lip. He moves himself a little closer and starts dragging the slightly cold strawberry along the man's skin, catching a trail of the chocolate as an adventurous drop begins its descent towards the mattress. His movements are slow and uncertain, but once he's got the strawberry sufficiently covered, he brings it to his lips — holding his other hand beneath the fruit to catch any mischievous drops that threaten to fall — and takes a bite.

He can see the boy shiver against the compounding tastes, his eyes slipping shut as he sighs contently. Once he swallows, he scoops up a little more of the chocolate, mixing in a little of the strawberry's juices. Good. Now that he has a taste for this treat, perhaps they can take it up a notch? As Edd pops the last of the strawberry into his mouth and reaches for another, Terry takes a gentle hold on his wrist.

"You're makin' more of a mess than you're cleanin' up, sweetheart," he chastises playfully, "C'mere."

He gets a little resistance as he pulls Edd towards him, but he tries to remain patient.

"C'mon, Princess," he urges, "I promise you'll enjoy it. You wouldn't wanna leave Master all sticky with chocolate n' strawberries, would ya?"

With a soft sigh, Edd stops resisting and allows himself to be pulled closer. He still hesitates as he leans toward the man's chest. But oh, it all pays off. The feeling of that hot little tongue pressing against his chest and dragging along his skin. Hot damn…so fucking good! He can feel every shudder and gag, but chooses to ignore it. Edd'll get used to it soon enough.

When he's been cleaned, he grabs the cream.

"My turn."

Pushing Edd back onto the bed, he straddles the little waist as he shakes the can. Edd squirms a little, but after a moment relaxes again. _Very good…_ Once the can has been thoroughly shaken, he directs the nozzle to Edd's chest, squirting a dollop of the cream over each of Edd's nipples. That gets him squirming again. He chuckles.

"Don't you worry, beautiful," he purrs, "This is gonna feel damn good."

Licking his lips, he grabs a couple of the smaller strawberries and places them on Edd's chest. He starts by lapping up one of the strawberries before closing his lips around Edd's nipple. Edd gasps and whines, arching his back as Terry licks and sucks up the cream. He can feel the strawberry juices slipping past his lips, puddling around Edd's nipple and dripping around his chest. When he's sufficiently lapped up the cream, he moves on to the other nipple.

Back and forth they go. Swapping between the chocolate and the whipped cream on either of their bodies. Finally, the strawberries are all gone, but Terry's far from finished. As they went on, he made sure to move down their bodies. But now he's reached the climax. Edd's lying beside him, quivering and panting as he recovers from the pleasure. Just one more spot…

Grinning deviously, he puts a generous helping of the cream over his cock.

"Alright, Princess," he snickers, "Time for your favorite treat."

It's just as much resistance as before to get Edd to go down on him, but with a little patience and prodding, he's got his little angel between his legs, lapping up the cream like a hungry kitten to milk. He doesn't let Edd up when his cock is cleaned up, though. Holding him down as he rocks into that tight, wet heat. Moaning and groaning as he digs his fingers into Edd's hair. His toes curl and his legs spread wider if only to pull Edd even closer. He almost worries he might be breaking Edd's nose with how fuckin' hard he's pushing his face into his crotch, but at the same time, he doesn't give enough of a shit to let him go. Not till he crosses that peak. Even then, he still keeps a tight grip on the boy until he can finally come down from that blissful high. When he does let go, Edd pulls away to cough and hack as he tries to breathe.

But of course, he's not gonna leave it at that either. Gotta return the favor. Grabbing the syrup, he lays Edd on his back and pours a generous, delicious amount of chocolate over Edd's crotch. Holding the slender hips down, he engulfs the small cock, moaning around the surprisingly rigid flesh. Just as he thought. Edd really _is_ loving it. He delights in the wanton moans that slip out of the boy's mouth. Hell yes…Edd tries to rock his hips, but Terry keeps him still. The little legs squeeze his shoulders and Edd's fingers dig into the broad shoulders. _Gettin' closer._ It's not long at all before Edd reaches his orgasm, clinging to the man as his body spasms in pleasure. Hot damn that's beautiful, watching the boy come undone at his hand. He'll never get enough of that. As he releases his Princess to lay beside him, he's confident that things just _can't_ get any better than this.

He feels Edd's little hand nudge his arm. Glancing towards him, he cocks his brow.

"Yes…?"

Licking his lips a bit, Edd averts his gaze a bit before glancing back up at the man.

"M-May I please bathe again, Master?" he asks softly, "I-I'm…qu-quite sticky…"

 _Scratch that thought._


	21. Ch 20 - On Cloud Edd

_Annoying little shit…_

Holding the phone between his shoulder and his ear, he scribbles notes amid half-formed doodles over a sheet of paper. He's been listening to the little Pipsqueak talk his ear off for over half an hour, bitching and moaning about how 'Shovel chin' said something shitty again, and how Edd's parents are unfeeling monsters, and blah, blah, fuckin' blah. Same shit, different call. What had him stuck on the line, however, was another common theme.

" _C'mon, Bro!_ " Eddy whines again, " _We got it all figured out! Me 'n Ed will sneak out while our folks are asleep and hop a bus. Monobrow has some money saved up from his birthday — leave it to_ _ **his**_ _folks to pay him off instead of gettin' him shit he likes — so we got enough to get us out there and—_ "

"I told you _no!_ " Terry snaps back into the receiver, "For the last _goddamn_ time, I ain't babysittin' you two."

" _But Bro!_ "

Terry drops his pencil and holds the phone away from his ear so he can more easily yell into the receiver.

"Listen here, you little twerp! You even _think_ about comin' here, I'll ring yer _fat neck!_ " Gritting his teeth, he takes a sharp breath before putting the phone back to his ear. "You got that?"

There's a bit of a pause before Eddy's reluctant reply, " _Okay…_ "

"Good," Terry sighs, returning his attention to the paper before him, "Jesus…Don't you have anything better to do than bitch at me or make up bullshit plans to run away?"

" _Not really…_ " Eddy mumbles back, " _…Do_ _ **you?**_ _You're actin' like you've got a lot on your mind…?_ "

 _Understatement of the goddamn century…_

"I'm workin' on a little project for ya," he explains, adding in a few more drawings for effect, deciding to get a little more grotesque with dismembered limbs and eyes and bloody knives.

" _Really?_ " Eddy asks, " _No way! What is it?_ "

"No ruinin' the surprise, Runt," Terry retorts, "Suffice it to say, it's gonna make your Halloween the best it's ever been. I'm talkin' buckets and _buckets_ of candy."

" _Woah!_ " Eddy gasps, " _That's fucking_ _ **awesome!**_ _Thank you_ _ **so**_ _much!_ "

"Yeah yeah, but if you keep talkin' about comin' out here with that dipshit friend of yours, you ain't gettin' it."

" _Okay, okay!_ " Eddy cries, " _I get it. Aw man! I'm so excited! Can I have just one hint?!_ "

"No," Terry scoffs, "Look I'm gonna send it out tomorrow so it should arrive just in time for Halloween."

" _Thanks, Bro!_ " He can hear Eddy giggling to himself, " _This is gonna be so cool!_ "

"Oh yeah…" Terry rolls his eyes, "The coolest. Anyway, I'm gonna finish this up so it can be ready, so I'm gettin' off here."

" _Okay, Bro,_ " Eddy replies, sounding much more upbeat than when the call began, " _Thanks again._ "

"Mm hmm."

With that, he hangs up and sets the phone aside to get back to work. It's annoying, having to make this up, but it'll keep the brat off his back for a bit. Not long, of course. Once he figures out it's all a joke, he'll probably go back to his whining, but hey! Maybe it'll also help to prove a point? Stop pestering or he'll do something to hurt him. After putting the finishing touches on the make-shift map by adding a few tears to its edges to make it look authentic, he admires his work. He couldn't remember any _actual_ landmarks from that crappy neighborhood, but Eddy'll fall for it nonetheless, he's sure. The clues he's written are as vague as can be and will probably exist _somewhere_ in the area. He knows there's an abandoned hearse knockin' around there somewhere, at least, and there's _got_ to be a dented stop sign.

Pleased, he folds up the 'map' and grabs an envelope to fill out. Yeah. This should get to Eddy on or just before Halloween, so he'll be able to cart his idiot friend around on a wild goose chase, wasting all his time and end up with nothing to show for it by the end of the night. Fucking perfect. After sealing the map in the envelope, he sets it aside. He'll take it out to the post office in the morning.

But now he's going to go and have a little fun.

Grabbing an apple, he returns to the bedroom, he finds his pretty little Princess snuggled in his sheets. By the rise and all of his chest, Terry can tell he's not fully asleep. Just dozing. He looks fuckin' adorable. All comfy and warm, with those pretty pink lips parted slightly and his face relaxed. Goddammit! He wants to crawl under the sheets and just bask in that sweetness! Pull that adorable little body into his arms and cuddle nice and close. Biting his lip, though, he resists that desire. No no. He's got a better idea.

Besides, he's got to test Edd's obedience as often as possible.

Approaching the bed, he grabs the sheets and yanks them away. That gets the boy's attention, and he jolts awake as his naked body is exposed. Rubbing his eyes, he sits up a bit when he notices Terry standing at the end of the bed.

"On the floor," Terry commands through his teeth.

Quivering, Edd obeys, sliding to the floor. Gazing up at the man with a furrowed brow, he settles down on his knees before him. Pleased, Terry sets the apple down on the bedside table before rooting around in the drawer. Picking out one of the dildos and a bottle of lube, he turns his attentions back to Edd with a smirk.

"I wanna see you put on a show for me, sweetheart," he commands in a sickly sweet tone, "G'head and fuck yourself on this 'n masturbate for me."

The horrified look he's become so accustomed to burns across the boy's face, drawing a chuckle from the man. Shoving the toy and bottle into Edd's hand, he takes a seat on the edge of the bed and unzips his pants. Oh, he's gonna enjoy the _fuck_ out of this.

As expected, Edd doesn't just jump straight into it, instead inspecting the toy a bit. Probably stalling. That's fine. _We've got all day._ After a few moments, though, he sets it aside and adjusts his position so that he's sitting up on his knees. He's got a sick look on his face as he coats his fingers in the lube. _At least he's getting the hang of what to do…_ Whining softly, Edd hesitates to truly begin. His eyes linger in different places of the room. The door, the walls, the floor behind him. Anywhere but the man watching him.

"Well?" Terry presses.

He doesn't move from the bed. Doesn't push too much. Just gotta give him a subtle reminder that he gave him an order. Cringing, Edd leans with his clean hand against the edge of the bed between Terry's legs, spreading his knees wider. Keeping his head bowed, he reaches his hand back to begin stretching himself out. Licking his lips, Terry leans forward so he can lean with his elbow on his knee and toy with his goatee. With his other hand, he lazily begins stroking himself. The little noises that slip past Edd's lips as he works his little ass out are so damn pretty. So naughty and a nice reflection of all his hard work on his little Princess.

"Very good," he breathes, moving his free hand to briefly stroke Edd's cheek.

Edd keeps his eyes shut, but nuzzles against the gentle caress. After preparing himself enough, Edd sits back up, leaning on the balls of his feet as he grabs the dildo again to coat it in the viscous material. With that done, he returns to his previous position and starts easing to toy in, wincing and whimpering softly. As Edd presses his cheek against the edge of the mattress, Terry curses a bit.

"Get back up here," he commands, startling the boy, "I want a better view of you."

Finally glancing up at the man, Edd removes the dildo and crawls up onto the bed beside him. Turning towards Edd with a smirk, Terry nods towards the head board.

"Lean against the pillows so I can get a good look at you."

With a soft sigh, Eddy obeys, settling in against the pillows and spreading his legs wide. It's definitely a more uncomfortable position for him, but Terry finds himself unable to sympathize right now. All that matters is that he's able to see all of the action now, including Edd's cringing face. As he positions the toy at his hole, Edd does his best to avoid any eye contact with, well, anything, really. He won't look at Terry or even his own body as he slowly inserts the dildo again. If he weren't using his other hand to help hold his legs apart, Terry's sure he would be trying to cover his burning face and stifle the noises he's started making again. He squirms in discomfort as he begins moving the dildo in and out. His toes curl and he bucks his hips a bit. Cocking his brow, Terry rests his chin in his hand and rests his elbow against his knee.

"Didn't I also tell you to touch yourself?" he asks, making the boy jolt in surprise, "I wanna see you get yourself off, Princess."

Caught between a whimper and a whine, Edd reluctantly releases his leg to begin stroking his half-hard cock. Tears gather at the corners of his tightly closed eyes as his breathing becomes more and more uneven. Terry observes him carefully as he continues, rocking his hips a bit as he tries to silence his moans. Even with Edd submitting to his commands, Terry doubts he's really putting much effort into it. With that in mind, he decides to help him along a bit.

And the more he can get Edd to associate _him_ with pleasure, the better.

Crawling between the boy's legs, he holds himself up with one hand near Edd's head, using the other to keep stroking himself. Moving close to Edd's face, he breathes hotly into his ear.

"Let me hear you moan, Princess," he hisses, sounding like less of a command and more like a plea, "I wanna hear all the naughty little noises you can make. Let me know how good it feels."

Brow furrowed, Edd peeks up at him. He cringes as Terry stops touching himself to ghost his fingers across Edd's chest and stomach. He reaches the boy's groin and barely brushes his fingers over his sensitive inner thigh, but he doesn't go any further. Right now, all he wants is to give Edd a gentle nudge towards his orgasm. It's the kid's job to cross that heavenly finish line. Pushing himself up just a little so that he's looking down into his face, he hovers over the boy, grinning wickedly as Edd gazes up at him. He's close enough to feel Edd's hot, shaky breath against his lips. Close enough to taste him. But he doesn't close the connection. Just lingers there, inviting Edd to do it himself.

And lo, his little darling doesn't disappoint. He hesitates, of course, his eyes flickering over Terry's face. Between the man's eyes and then to his lips and back as he worries his lower lip between his teeth. God _fucking_ dammit. That fuckin' gap is almost _too_ much. Pinching the skin of his lower lip and giving the man a little glimpse at the tongue hiding just past his teeth After taking a deep breath, he finally leans up to kiss him. _Fuck yeah…_ Terry fights the urge to wrap his arms around the little body beneath him. To pull Edd flush against him and rock into him. To throw out his previous plans and fuck his pretty little Princess until they're both too exhausted to move or even think.

But he resists. Sure, he leans into the kiss and pushes his tongue past Edd's barely closed lips to reward him for such a tender display of affection. Of course, he delights in Edd's submission as he wraps his arms around the man's shoulders. But he doesn't let himself get carried away. After indulging in his own desires for a moment, he pushes Edd back onto the mattress, much to Edd's surprise.

"Keep going," he purrs, "You don't stop till you cum for me."

Breathing heavy, Edd gives a reluctant nod before reaching back down to touch himself again. Terry sits back to watch, but finds himself conflicted. As bad as he wants to see every moment of Edd fucking himself on the toy, he wants to remain close to him as well. To let their body heat mingle and overwhelm Edd's senses to drive him to that sweet release. But if he does that, he won't be able to see the show. He settles, finally, on resting beside Edd, near enough that he can lean into his ear and whisper filthy things to him, but still far enough to oversee his progress. That seems to do the trick, as Edd's movements get faster and more erratic as he's overcome with pleasure.

"That's a good boy," Terry breathes, kissing along his earlobe, "Keep at it, sweetheart. You're so close. Don't hold back."

"T…T-Terry…" Edd whimpers. He cringes a bit, "I-I mean…M-Master…"

Terry chuckles under his breath, leaning over Edd to kiss the corner of his mouth.

"I'll let that slide for now, Princess," he coos, "You can call me by my name all you want for this."

Well, no shit! How could he pass up hearing his beloved moan his name like _that?!_ Briefly glancing at the man for validation, Edd begins mumbling his name under his breath. The closer he gets to his climax, the louder he becomes and the faster his movements. Terry drinks in the sight. The little back arching in pleasure and his entire body tensing. He's long since given up keeping his eyes open as his head rolls from side to side. Pink lips parted and unable to withhold the sharp breaths that shake his entire form. The more Terry watches, the faster he strokes his own rigid cock.

Edd's orgasm finally takes him, wracking his body and making him go still. _Fuuuuuuck that's good._ Licking his lips, Terry holds himself up over Edd, eager to reach his own climax. He latches his lips against Edd's neck, licking and suckling against the tender flesh. His body overly sensitive as he comes down from his sexual high, Edd can't hope to stop the wanton moans that such an action draws from him. _Just a little more…_ With a low groan directly into Edd's ear, Terry cums onto Edd's stomach.

As he begins to relax again, he settles his weight beside the smaller body, nuzzling his temple and peppering kisses along his cheek. After a few moments, he begins to notice a salty taste upon Edd's cheek and finds him to be crying. Removing the dildo, Edd discards it unceremoniously before bringing his hands up to cover his face. Or at least, as close to that as he can manage. Because they're still pretty filthy, he doesn't actually touch his face with his palms or his fingers, instead burying his face in the backs of his hands. Cocking his brow, Terry sits up and grabs Edd's wrists to move his hands away.

"What are you crying for?" he asks, giving him a smug grin, "You did real good."

Sniffling, Edd shuts his eyes tight.

"I-I'm…f-filthy…" he whimpers, "Horrible…d-despicable…r-repugnant."

Terry scoffs, releasing Edd's wrists; "Bullshit."

Edd watches the man, startled, as Terry retrieves the apple from the bedside table.

"None of that is true," Terry assures him, holding the fruit towards him, "You're perfect."

Hunching his shoulders, Edd holds his hands away from the offering, reluctant to touch any food with his soiled hands.

"Go ahead, Princess," Terry commands, "I'll hold it for ya."

Still unsure, Edd hesitates, looking between the apple and Terry's face before swallowing down his unease. Leaning forward, he takes a bite. His face breaks out in a sad, yet blissful smile. Very unlike the expression he'd maintained during their little session a moment ago.

"Good boy."

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Edd only continues to improve. There are hiccups here and there, of course. Certain demands that Edd outright refuses. He's not lost his dignity entirely and therefore some things are beyond his tolerance level. Typically more BDSM shit that Terry suggests. Fine. He'll do pretty much anything else, so that's not much of a deal breaker and he decides to let it pass. If anything, the extreme requests were just there to test the waters. And when he offers a more subdued substitution — that Edd would have wholeheartedly denied outright a few months prior — Edd agrees without hesitation.

And because Edd's been working so hard just for him, he's been sure to reward him. He doesn't go overboard. Can't spoil his little angel, after all. Just enough to reinforce the good behavior and discourage the bad with the threat of losing everything he'd been given. He purposely keeps the heat low so that the trailer can't warm up effectively, giving Edd little option and opportunity to stay warm. But, of course, Terry provides him just what he needs. He lets Edd dress in his jersey, which offers just enough warmth amidst the several sizes too big material for him to find comfort. And, naturally, the rest of that comfort comes from snuggling into the man's arms, held tight and soaking in the warmth of Terry's body.

Well, that and burrowing into the sheets of the bed, since he's been allowing the kid to sleep there now. But Edd's favorite reward seems to be the treats he gives him. He still makes the kid subsist on food from the park for the most part. It's way cheaper — or rather, 'free' — and more convenient than actually cooking. However, when Terry wants to give Edd a tasty little treat, he'll present him with fruits and veggie snacks that always manage to put a relieved smile on the boy's face. Naturally, some of those treats worked in Terry's favor as well, as he could implement them in their bedroom activities. Those were met with a little less enthusiasm from the boy, but he'd still submit. So who's complaining?

Halloween came and went without much of an issue. The brats around the park wore costumes ranging from surprisingly and genuinely creative to boring and lackluster store-bought fads. Terry recalls one in particular that actually got a laugh out of him, though. Some kid running around with a spray bottle, and cotton balls glued to a gray sweatsuit. He'd asked Dave later on what the fuck he was supposed to be and couldn't hold back the cackle when he was told that the kid claimed he was 'cloudy with a chance of rain'. Surely the kid's parents had come up with that one. He's seen enough of the brat's who come through the park and how fuckin' stupid they are. Ain't no way any of those little shits could come up with somethin' like that.

Shit…no, there kind've was _one_ issue he had to put up with. On November 1st, Eddy had called early as hell to vent and scream about the trick. That not only did he not get any candy, but his idiot friend had melted his brain with horror movies and their night had ended with them both getting the shit beat out of them on top of everything else. As if _that_ was his fault? Oh fuckin' well. It was damn funny to hear about how Eddy had so blindly followed the clearly-bullshit map, only to find nothing whatsoever at the end. Best of all, it had the pleasant side effect of making Eddy _so_ damn mad at him, that he didn't even _mention_ coming to visit. Damn right. So now he should have the little shit off his case for a while.

All in all, Terry considers the entire venture quite the victory.

However, it's unfortunately short-lived. About a week later, he hears from his mother.

" _But Terry!_ " she whines, " _It's Thanksgiving! We should all be together and sharing what we're thankful for. I know a certain brother of yours who'd be pretty thankful for it._ "

"Yeah?" Terry scoffs, "Well, I'm not. And I'm willin' to bet my left nut the old man wouldn't be 'thankful' about it either."

" _Watch your mouth, dammit!_ " his father suddenly interjects, " _You don't use that kinda language with your mother!_ "

"The fuck are _you_ doing on the line?!"

" _What'd I just say?!_ "

" _Tony stop it!_ " his mother hisses, " _Now hang up so I can finish talking to our son._ "

" _ **Your**_ _son, maybe…_ " Tony grumbles, followed shortly by the _beep_ of the phone disconnecting.

"Motherfucker…" Terry mumbles under his breath.

" _Terry, please,_ " he hears her sigh, " _At least think about it, okay? It's a free meal and your worried mother can feel relief for a few hours._ "

"No can do, mom…" Terry retorts, "If I'm 'thankful' for anything, it's that I have the fuckin' choice not to deal with that asshole."

She sighs again and he grits his teeth. _Dammit…_

"Besides," he adds after a moment, "I'm still thinkin' about comin' for Christmas. How's that?"

There's a bit of a pause before she scoffs.

"I guess it's something," she says, her tone more flat than before.

That was the end of that. Even as Thanksgiving drew closer, he didn't hear back from them. Guess they got the picture. But just because he wasn't going to be home, doesn't mean he wasn't going to enjoy the holiday his own way…

Thus, on the night in question, he puts together some semblance of a dinner consisting of various boxes of mashed potatoes, stuffing, and bread rolls. He'd even snagged a cheap bottle of wine during his grocery run earlier in the week. Of course, he couldn't be bothered with cooking an actual turkey, so he also stopped by the deli to get himself packaged turkey slices. Same difference, right? Especially with the packages of plastic wishbones in a small display near the deli. It's a silly tradition, really, but maybe Edd will still appreciate it and feel more at home if they indulge in it?

To say Edd's surprised by the miniature feast is an understatement. He drools as he looks over his plate, looking unsure where to begin. As he picks up his fork, though, he glances at Terry and hesitates as he sees the man pouring a couple of glasses of the wine. Clearly, he's concerned by the lack of any other drink. No water, no juice, no soda. Nothing remotely kid-friendly for the boy to quench his thirst. As Terry sits beside him on the bed, both glasses in hand, Edd swallows the lump in his throat.

"M-May I have a g-glass of water?" he asks hoarsely.

"No need," Terry purrs, holding one of the glasses towards him, "I got your drink right here."

Edd jumps a bit, his wide eyes locked on the glass.

"B-But…! " he stutters, "F-Forgive me, but…i-if I'm not mistaken, that's an a-alcoholic beverage, is it not?"

"So?"

With a pout, Edd hunches his shoulders defensively; "So…I can't…drink that…?"

"Says who?" Terry scolds gently, putting the glass into Edd's hands, "It ain't gonna hurt ya. Besides, I'm givin' you permission, aren't I?"

"But…"

"Just try it, sweetheart," Terry urges, "I'm sure you'll like it."

Sighing softly, Edd bows his head, staring down into the maroon liquid and hesitating to actually taste it. After a deep breath, however, he reluctantly brings the glass to his lips to take his first sip. It sends a shiver down his spine and his face scrunches up in displeasure. Glancing up at Terry, his brow furrows.

"It's…tart…"

"It's an acquired taste," Terry swirls the wine in the glass for a moment, "Not to mention cheap. Try another sip."

With a soft whine, Edd obeys, taking a slightly longer swig.

"Good," Terry continues, "I know you'll like it the more you have it. Of course, that'll be pretty rare. But today's a special occasion, so why not?"

Edd swallows thickly, squinting at him; "Special occasion…?"

Oh yeah, Edd probably _wouldn't_ know how long he's been here, let alone that it's a holiday. Or, at least, he wouldn't have a concrete idea.

"It's Thanksgiving day," Terry explains, taking a swig from his glass, "So we're gonna have a nice dinner of turkey and stuffing and drink to what we're thankful for and all that shit."

"Thanks…giving…?" Edd mutters, his eyes wide and his face pale.

His hands start to shake a bit as he clutches the glass in both hands. As Terry glances at him, he wonders how he's even able to keep a hold on the glass. He looks sick, like he's just seen a ghost who shared with him a horrifying secret. _Oh yeah, guess it would be a lot to take in._ The revelation is clearly a difficult one to grasp. _Dammit…_ Placing his hand on Edd's shoulder, he attempts to pull the boy out of his shock.

"C'mon, Princess," he coos, "Let's drink to what we're thankful for."

Edd looks up at him, but doesn't comment, drawing Terry to grimace a bit.

"Alright, I'll go first," he pauses for a moment, stroking his beard. Yeah, as though he has to actually _think_ about this…"Let's see…Well…there's really only one thing." Cupping Edd's chin, he urges the boy to look at him. "You. You're all I need and all I could ever want."

 _Well, that and how unbelievably easy this has all been…_

It feels cheesy as all hell to actually say shit like this, but it has the effect he was hoping for. The prettiest blush begins to spread over Edd's cheek and some over his adorable little button nose. Whether that's from his shyness or because he's already feeling the effects of the alcohol, Terry's not sure. But it's a nice reaction nonetheless.

"Alright, Princess," Terry purrs, "Your turn."

Edd makes his typical anxious noises, squirming a little.

"Y…You…" he mumbles, bowing his head, "Of course…"

"And…?"

Looking back up at him, Edd furrows his brow.

"A-And for…e-everything you've…given me?" he adds, "And…And for…" he cringes a bit, "s-saving me?"

Okay, he's clearly guessing, but whatever. Good enough.

"Very good," he chuckles, bringing their glasses together with a _clink._

As he downs his glass, he notices Edd uncomfortably sipping from his own. With that out of the way, it's finally time to eat. At least the kid's enjoying that much, popping the slices of turkey into his mouth and making quick work of the admittedly bland potatoes and stuffing. Because of his limited options with which to wash down the slightly tasteless food, the wine in his glass diminishes soon enough. Being a kid, it only takes the one glass for Edd to start feeling the effects of the drink. He starts leaning against Terry's chest, unable to hold himself upright as well without swaying. Not that Terry feels like complaining about that, though.

Finishing up their dinner, Terry sets aside their plates. By now, Edd's thoroughly lost in a drunken stupor, laying prone on the bed and mumbling to himself. Stripping out of his plaid shirt, Terry decides it's about time to get down to what he's _really_ thankful for. And hell _fucking_ yes! The alcohol is having an even better effect than he imagined. Edd clings to him, whimpering and moaning for him. It's the best revelation he could've ever had in this moment.

His little Princess gets affectionate as hell when he's drunk.

Gonna have to remember that, but for now, he's going to settle in for a night of wild, unchecked passion with his beloved.


	22. Ch 21 - Biding Your Edd

Another wave of nausea…Fuck…That cheap ass wine might've been a mistake. And then there's the throbbing headache. _Dammit…_ The painkillers are in the bathroom. _Gotta get up…_ Terry pushes himself up with a groan, holding his head. As he does, he's hit with a sudden realization that makes his nausea even worse. Edd's arms aren't around him, locked in place like they should be. Panic courses through his system as he bolts up, his head and eyes shifting back and forth. To the door; closed. To the floor; nothing but the post. To his side…His panic wanes instantly when he spots him, still slumbering amid the sheets. Edd shifts a bit, his face looking far less peaceful than normal: uncomfortable.

Terry sighs heavily, dragging his hand down his face. Goddammit…He fucking forgot. How could he forget? How could he just fall asleep without putting the cuffs on Edd?! How could he be so damn careless?! When Edd could've slipped away? Like he did before. Like he did when he first brought him home. Like he did when he didn't lock the bathroom door. God _dammit!_

But then…why _didn't_ Edd sneak away? Why _didn't_ he take advantage of his lapse in thought? Edd's pitiful whimpering and sobbing draws his attention and provides the answer. He's brought his hands to clutch desperately at his head and tears are trickling steadily down his ashen cheeks. Brow cocked, Terry leans over him as Edd covers his eyes with his hands. It's then that he's able to hear him mumbling.

"My head…" he cries softly, "I…I feel so ill. Why do I feel ill? Why does my head hurt…?"

Oh fuck…Okay, so there was a pretty massive downside to liquoring Edd up the way he did and it's decided to rear its ugly head. His little Princess had never considered even _tasting_ alcohol before last night, so of course he would have no knowledge about this particular side effect. Suddenly, Edd covers his mouth.

"I-I'm going to be ill!" he gasps through his fingers.

Gritting his teeth, Terry scoops him up. Like _hell_ he's gonna clean up puke in his fucking bed! Without hesitation, he rushes the kid to the bathroom, foregoing any notion of gagging him. He's got that covered on his own. Edd heaves several times, but somehow manages to hold down the vomit until he's able to purge his system into the toilet. Sighing in relief, Terry leans against the wall, rubbing his eyes. After taking a moment to calm himself, he excuses himself from the bathroom, giving Edd a bit of privacy.

He retreats to the kitchen, retrieving a couple bottles of water. He's sure Edd's going to be dehydrated after he's finished vomiting, and the cold water should feel good on his burning throat. Some painkillers too. His own hangover isn't nearly as bad, though he's not surprised by that. He's used to this by now. It's never genuinely easy, and he's still going to take his own share of medication, but he knows what to expect. He knows how to handle it.

Edd doesn't.

When he returns to the bathroom, the water in the tank of the toilet is running — indicating that it was just flushed — and Edd's resting his cheek against the cool porcelain, panting heavily and shivering as his weak fingers cling to the lid. Terry cringes a little, feeling a sharp pang of regret. This wasn't how he wanted this to play out. He didn't want Edd in pain like _this._ Pain was for punishment. But now Edd's suffering for no reason other than Terry's desire to get him drunk for a night. Yeah, he'll have to limit that method. No more alcohol for a while.

He approaches Edd silently. No real use talking just yet. It'd only result in causing Edd more unnecessary pain. He presses one of the bottles to Edd's temple, making him jump for a moment before sighing softly and leaning against it. Peeking up at the man, he gingerly takes the bottle from him. When he realizes what he's been given, he feebly twists off the cap and starts gulping down the drink. In the meantime, Terry retrieves the pain medication from the cabinet above the sink and pops a couple of the pills. When Edd lowers the bottle to swallow the water, his panting lessened significantly from before, Terry hands him a couple of pills as well. Edd gives them an uncertain look, his brow furrowed. Terry kneels down beside him.

"Take 'em," he commands, keeping his voice low and soft, "They're for the headache."

After a quick glance back up at Terry's face, Edd takes the medicine one pill at a time. He shudders as he swallows them down, clearly uncomfortable with swallowing _anything_ after he'd just finished vomiting. By the time he downs the second pill, the bottle is mostly empty. Again, he presses his cheek to the porcelain, shutting his eyes again and breathing heavily. _Probably feels like puking again…_

Turning away, Terry grabs the bottle of mouthwash. He pours himself a cupful into the lid and starts swishing it around in his mouth. He knows Edd's gonna want to use it too, but he doesn't want to push him to move if he doesn't want to. As if on cue, he feels the boy's fingers graze his calf as he reaches for him. Looking down at the boy, he finds him sitting up just a little and gazing up at him timidly. Well, technically his eyes are locked on the mouthwash, but close enough. Spitting out the swill, he pours another lid-full for Edd and hands the cup to him. Edd takes it gratefully in both shaking hands and knocks it back. Handing the lid back to Terry, his face reflects a discomfort — likely the typical burn that comes with most mouthwashes — but also a bit of relief that he's getting the putrid taste of bile out of his mouth.

It seems he doesn't feel capable of standing just yet, leading to Edd spitting out the mouthwash into the toilet. He rinses with what's left of the water and spits that out as well. After flushing all that down, he scoots back and leans against the wall beside the bathtub, panting. Kneeling down, Terry feels Edd's forehead and cheek with the back of his hand, just to be sure it's indeed the alcohol that has him sick and not a fever. Edd glances up at him, looking a bit better than he did when he woke up.

"Can you walk?" Terry asks, still whispering.

Grimacing a little, Edd tries to push himself up to his feet. Terry stands to give him room, but it doesn't do much good as Edd stumbles and clutches his head, still weak and in pain. With a sigh, Terry bends down to pick him up like before. Edd clings to him, whimpering a little as he allows himself to be hoisted into the man's arms.

Then it's back to the bedroom, where he tucks Edd in under the covers to make him as comfortable as possible. He settles in beside him, pulling the boy close and making Edd rest his cheek against his chest. Edd doesn't fight it, apparently comforted by the notion of being held in such a way. _Guess there_ _ **is**_ _an upside to this…_

After a few moments of peaceful silence, Edd shifts a bit against the man.

"Wh-Whenever I felt ill back home…" he begins softly, his voice very hoarse and strained, "M-My mother would prepare chicken noodle soup for me…and then read to me until I felt better."

Terry can't fight the scoff that escapes him

"You must be rememberin' wrong, Princess," he grumbles, "Ain't no way that that bi—" he stops himself and grits his teeth, unsure if he should go that far just yet, "That that 'woman' would be so caring."

"What do you mean?" Edd glances up at him shyly, "M-My mother cared for me like that all the time."

"Believe me, sweetheart, that witch didn't care about you at all."

A silence follows as Edd turns his head down again. _Maybe he's gonna drop it for now?_

"You talk like you knew her…" he mumbles after a moment. _Guess not._ " _H-How_ did you know my mother…? Did you know her well? Or my father?"

Cocking his brow, Terry glances at him. He's awfully talkative for someone who's feeling so sick. And the subject is a bit suspect too.

"No, I didn't," he replies, "I could just tell."

Edd gives him a pout.

"H-How could you tell…?" he asks after a moment, "What lead you to that conclusion?"

Terry grits his teeth, realizing where the kid's going with this. With a sigh, he gently nudges Edd off of him and lays him against the pillows.

"You should get some sleep," he suggests, "You can get somethin' to eat when you're feelin' better."

As he tucks the boy in again, Edd stares up at him with a frown. He opens his mouth to say something else, but backs down against the glare shot his way. Bowing his head, he burrows into the covers a little more.

"May I please have something to wear?"

Shrugging, Terry looks around the floor near the bed, spotting his jersey discarded with his other clothes. After handing it to Edd, he begins dressing himself. He knows for a fact that he doesn't actually _have_ any chicken noddle soup — it's not exactly something he incorporates into his own diet — so he'll have to try the grocery store in town. It's Black Friday, so he's sure they're open. Fuck, that also means he's gonna have to deal with ridiculously long lines and dipshits who couldn't be bothered to do their fucking Christmas shopping any time before now. Oh well. He doesn't need much. And maybe seeing some dumb bitch get trampled for some bullshit gift or whatever she doesn't need will provide a little entertainment?

Once he's dressed, he turns back to Edd, who's gone back to snuggling into the covers of the bed and has pulled them up to his chin. Leaning over him, he strokes the boy's jaw.

"I'm goin' out for a bit," he explains softly, "So you just stay in bed and feel better. Be good for me and I'll give you a little treat."

Edd swallows thickly; "Y-Yes sir…"

Placing a quick kiss to Edd's lips, he stands straight again. Pocketing his keys and slipping on his shoes, he leaves the room and locks back up.

As he expected, traffic is backed up all to hell. He decides to swing by a drive-thru before anything else to quell his grumbling stomach. He could've gotten something for Edd too, but Edd implied that he wanted soup. And since he gave the kid a hangover, he's going to give him whatever he wants to eat as penance. He brings the food in with him, and thankfully no one seems to give a shit. The grocery store is packed with assholes running over each other. He's sure it was worse earlier in the day, but goddamn, these people are nuts. It's a damn shame that there are so many ridiculous sales going on. He almost feels sorry for the employees who have to deal with this.

Almost.

Heading straight for the soup aisle, he manages to grab the last can on the shelf. Well, okay, so he's gotta punch out the bitch who tried to take it first, but it winds up in his possession and that's all that matters. On the plus side, with all the other pandemonium, no one seems to notice him doing this and he's able to walk away without incident. As he passes by the candy aisle, he pauses. There's a barrel of jawbreakers that he swears must be fuckin' _bolted_ to the floor since it's somehow still standing. Frankly, it's really not been touched. _Guess most people don't really 'like' these things…?_

But Edd does.

Eddy's letters claimed as much. It was something the three of them shared; a love for this weird, awkward candy ball. They were their favorite things above all else. Edd would be more than a little appreciative of him for getting one of these…With that in mind, he grabs one of the jawbreakers and leaves the aisle.

After waiting in line for what felt like forever, he finally heads back home. It feels almost eerie being in the empty park. Most of his coworkers were visiting family, which worked out well since the place was closed for the holiday. They'd open up again on Monday, but he's sure it'll still be pretty quiet around here for a while. And two weeks out from Christmas, they'll be shut down through New Year's. It'll make money tight as hell for a bit…

Oh well. Not important right now. First thing on the agenda is to start cookin' the soup. At least the instructions on the can make it idiot-proof. And while that's warming up, he returns to the bedroom. Edd's sitting up in the bed, looking much better than he did when he woke up. Pleased, Terry approaches him after closing the door behind him and sits beside him on the bed.

"Feeling better?"

Edd nods, brushing his hair out of his eyes and behind his ears. Furrowing his brow, Terry parrots the motion, carding his fingers through the dark locks. Damn, it's starting to get kind've long. It brings a smile to Terry's face. _Startin' to really look like a little Princess…_ Cupping Edd's cheek, he reaches into his pocket.

"I have somethin' for you," he purrs, revealing the jawbreaker.

Edd gasps softly, his hands shooting up to cover his mouth and his eyes going wide at the sight of his beloved candy.

"Y…You got this…for me?" he asks through his fingers as he shifts his gaze between the jawbreaker and Terry's face.

"Course I did," Terry chuckles back, turning the candy over in his hand.

"But…why?" Edd pouts, lowering his hands a bit, "Wh-Why would you…do something so nice…?"

Terry looks to him quizzically but after a moment must concede that it's a pretty fair question. He's not done much for Edd that could be considered 'nice' by any stretch. Okay, so he'll give him that, but he's not sure how he should answer. Should he actually tell him the real reason?

"I just wanted to give my little Princess something I knew you'd like," he answers finally.

Furrowing his brow, Edd stares at him, confused.

"How did you know I liked these?" he asks slowly.

Fuck…He's suddenly reminded of the soup that might be burning in the kitchen.

"Here," he mumbles, putting the candy into the boy's hand, "I gotta check on something."

Without waiting for a response, he rushes back out of the room (locking back up as he leaves, of course). The soup hasn't begun burning, but it's bubbling like crazy and is threatening to boil over. After turning the heat down, he leans against the counter to calm himself from the minor panic. He ponders what he should tell Edd, if anything at all. He's made so much progress with him, but who knows how Edd would react to such a revelation? He went into shock just learning that he's been here for three months. To find out who Terry really is might be a bit too much and might set him back again. Perhaps it's best to say nothing at all, then?

Pouring the soup into a bowl, he grabs a spoon and a napkin and heads back to the bedroom. When he reenters the room, he finds Edd enjoying his candy. He's surprised — and, naturally, a little aroused — to see that he's able to actually fit the thing into his mouth. He's making the cutest little noises, moaning happily as he keeps his eyes closed to fully enjoy the flavor. Licking his lips, Terry decides not to interrupt as he quietly shuts the door. Edd's attention is eventually drawn to him anyway as Terry sets the bowl down on the bedside table. Blushing shyly, Edd covers his mouth with one hand.

"M-My shinsherist apologiesh…" he mumbles, looking even more mortified by the fact that he can't properly articulate himself around the candy, "I-I jusht couldn't reshisht! I-It tashtesho good…"

 _Goddammit…that's too fuckin' adorable!_ Chuckling a little, Terry sits beside him.

"Dessert before dinner?" he teases, "How naughty of you."

Whining, Edd covers his mouth with both hands, curling in on himself indignantly. Pleased, Terry holds out his hand.

"Out with it," he orders with a coo, "You can have your candy after you have a real meal."

Pouting up at him, Edd shyly removes the jawbreaker from his mouth and allows Terry to take it from his hand to set it on the napkin. Licking the sticky sweetness left over on his finger tips, Terry then picks up the bowl to hand it to Edd.

"What time is it?" Edd asks suddenly, holding the bowl over his lap.

"Around five?" Terry guesses.

Edd looks surprised by that answer, but seems to accept it as he begins sipping the soup. Glancing back at Terry, he gives him a confused look.

"Aren't you gong to eat something?"

"Already ate," Terry shrugs back, "You just worry about finishing up your dinner so we can get down to the good stuff, will ya?"

Hunching his shoulders, Edd silently goes back to his meal. He looks lost in thought, but like he doesn't want to say anything more. Good. The faster he eats, the faster they can get back to some sexual exploits.

After all, there's not much else they can do with their time, is there?

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Terry manages to get Edd to come further and further out of his shell. He becomes more bold when they get intimate, initiating kisses and allowing his voice to be heard more and more. He's also less afraid of speaking up and trying to talk to Terry. With his good behavior, Terry certainly encourages this and indulges in the small talk, but shuts it down pretty quick when Edd tries to get legitimate answers out of him.

But the subject soon shifts to Christmas. Unsurprisingly, the very mention of the holiday brought Edd's mood sharply down, even when Terry asked him what he'd like as a present. Edd once answered he'd like to see his family, but after a couple smacks to the face and a mini tantrum from Terry for even _suggesting_ such a thing, he would avoid the topic altogether.

Still, despite that minor setback, Terry tries to plan something nice for Edd. He wants to give him something truly special. Something that shows how much Edd means to him. And, of course, something that shows who he belongs to wouldn't be a bad touch. Therefore, a little over a week out from Christmas, he starts hitting up jewelry stores, looking among the collection of rings. He stays far away from the ridiculously expensive shit, but there are a few under one hundred dollars that would look damn pretty on his little Princess' finger.

He finally settles on a rainbow-lookin' stone in the shape of a heart that's set into a silver band. At under thirty bucks, it's a total steal. Sure it's probably cheap as hell and the band itself is definitely not real silver at that price, but it'll be perfect. He calls a shopkeep over and tells him he wants to buy the ring. The man is a bit put-off and tries to suggest something more 'elegant' ( _'Elegant' my ass. He means expensive_ ) than what he describes as a 'simple topaz', but Terry insists on the one he picked out. A bit dismayed, the shopkeep merely shrugs and removes it from the case.

After filling out the necessary paperwork — mostly to get the right fit (which Terry mostly guesses based on his now intimate knowledge of Edd's body right down to the size of his adorable little fingers) and provide contact information — he pays the man and is told he can pick it up in a few days. The guy even assures him they'll call when it's ready. Terry does wonder why they can't have it ready _today,_ but with the mass of last-minute shoppers that surround him, he stops questioning why they might be backed the hell up with orders.

When he returns to the park, he's hit with a sudden sense of loneliness. Emptiness. It's the same feeling he got around Thanksgiving, but so much more intense. The place looks damn near deserted. Sure, that's because most of the people have fucked off, but there's something else to it. They finally got hit with a snowfall, so there's a thin layer of powder covering the ground along with the park being shrouded in the darkness of the winter night. The only signs of life are around the trailers of himself and what few coworkers of his remain. Some have their lights on, squeezing through the window in little slits of yellow, and the snow around their doors is slightly disturbed. Other than that, since most of the employees have either gone home for the holidays or live in town and haven't returned lately, things are pretty quiet. The rides look abandoned too, with sheets of white clinging to the frigid metal that falls off in little, shapeless wisps whenever wind passes over them. Anyone wandering by might think the place was abandoned forever ago, but that the electricity never really got cut for the main street lights, bathing the main paths in a dull yellow-orange. Frankly, the only possible way to tell that this isn't the case would be to look closely at the rides where Mike would periodically come out to perform simple, routine maintenance throughout the week, but even that has become few and far between.

It's the silence, though, that he finds the most unsettling. In a place that's usually filled with the screams of its patrons and the arguments between its irritable employees, the uninterrupted silence that clings to the stagnant air is haunting as fuck. He almost misses chillin' out and shootin' the shit with Dave on these quiet days. Motherfucker could fill the dead space in a conversation like nobody's business.

Home again. He retreats to his bedroom, pleased to find Edd resting peacefully. He's sure the kid's bored as fuck anymore. Maybe after he's gotten him to be more obedient, he can start letting him come out to the living room and enjoy some tv when he can't be home? Or maybe he can find some kind've activity to keep him stimulated? Something he'll actually _do,_ that is — getting him to play with the sex toys has proven kinda fruitless for the most part. As Terry approaches the bed, Edd stirs from his dozing and struggles to sit up. He sits down, leaning over the sluggish boy.

"Have a nice nap?" he begins with a purr.

Moaning softly, Edd keeps his head bowed as he rubs his eyes. He doesn't answer the question past a groggy moan.

"Hungry?" Terry continues, carding his fingers through Edd's hair.

Peeking up at him, Edd nods shyly.

"What would you like?"

Edd's startled by that one.

"Y-You'd let… _me_ choose?" he asks, hunching his shoulders.

"Sure," Terry replies with a grin, "Anything you want."

Brow furrowed, Edd shrinks further in on himself, gazing up at the man uneasily.

"Anything…" he mumbles, "How about…spaghetti…?"

 _Shit. Do I even have anything for that…?_ Humming to himself, Terry strokes his goatee. It _would_ be a nice change of pace. And flashes of a cheesy old kids movie with a sappy as fuck romantic pasta scene come to mind, further solidifying his new resolve to make that shit happen.

"I'll see what I can do…"

As Terry rises back to his feet, Edd follows him with his eyes.

" _Why…?_ "

Terry shoots Edd a suspicious look over his shoulder.

"What's that?" he asks, the hint of a threat on the tip of his tongue.

There's a slight pause as Edd glares down at the bed.

"Wh…Why are you being so nice to me?" he stutters, gripping the sheets in his little fists.

"Again with that?" Terry snarls, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, "What d'you—"

"After all the horrible things you've done…" Edd whimpers, bracing himself, "Is this some kind of trick…? How long are you going to keep up this charade?"

Now it's Terry's turn to lapse into stunned silence. His mind is abuzz in its efforts to find a solution. _Should I hit him for that?_ Such a brazen comment demands punishment, right? And after such perfect behavior? _But if I hit him, he might withdraw again…_ And he doesn't have work to escape to right now so that he can leave him alone for hours at a time. Can't use that tactic to make Edd regret his words. _Fuck…_

Taking a deep breath, he returns to the bed and hooks two fingers beneath the leather of the collar to pull Edd just a little closer and get his attention. Edd flinches, whipping his arms up to shield himself as his body tenses up considerably. Willing away the grimace, Terry leans in a bit.

"Just gettin' into the holiday spirit, Princess," he finally answers spitefully, "Good will and all that shit."

After a moment, Edd glances up at him, lowering his arms again. Terry takes that opportunity to cup his cheek with his free hand.

"Well…" he laughs hollowly, "That and…this is how you're _supposed_ to treat your lover…right?"

The L-word makes Edd cringe again, but he backs down, seemingly satisfied (or some approximation thereof) by this answer. Letting him go again, Terry begins walking to the door.

"Now, you just sit tight, sweetheart," he commands through his teeth, "And I'll see about makin' us a big 'ol heapin' plate of spaghetti."

With that, he leaves the room and locks back up. Walking away from the frustration, he storms off to the kitchen. Scouring through every cabinet, he manages to come across a long, thin box of pasta and, after searching through the fridge, he finds a sealed jar of marinara sauce. It was a rarity for him to have this for dinner, but it was easy as hell to cook, so he definitely kept it on hand on the off chance he needed something relatively simple. But… _When the hell did I even buy this…?_ Checking the expiration date, he's relieved to find that both the pasta and the sauce have several months left on them. Only thing he doesn't have that would hit the spot damn well is some of that fancy ass garlic bread. Eh, fuck it. Some buttered toast will have to do. The search for a couple of suitable pots is just as annoying as searching for the stupidly simple ingredients, but before long he's boiling the water and has the sauce heating up. After setting up the toaster, he, he pops in a couple slices of bread and then against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest so as to stew over his own thoughts.

Edd's suspicions weren't entirely unfounded. His behavior as of late must have come off as weird or even unsettling, especially after over a month of him being so hard on the kid. Is he growing complacent? Letting his guard down and allowing himself to treat Edd better just because he was sick of putting in the effort of being excessively mean to him? Granted, that part was fun too. There was something in him that delighted in making Edd cry when he upset him. But isn't the goal ultimately to end up with a loving relationship? To make Edd happy and comfortable? To treat him like a lover and be gentle?

But then again…is he going about it the right way? Has he been _too_ lenient? Edd's behavior has been so good lately. He's clearly coming around. Clearly giving in and returning his affections. That's happening. He knows it. Edd hasn't fought back in weeks. He's finally getting what he wants. So how can he _not_ want to lessen the abuse? How can he _not_ want to change his own behavior to make Edd happy as a reward for giving in? What's the harm?

 _You're being paranoid._

Gritting his teeth, he glares at the table. Edd's sitting backwards in one of the chairs, leaning against the back and grinning knowingly at him. No. Not Edd.

"The fuck are you doing here?!" Terry snarls, "I thought I was fuckin' _done_ with you."

 _No such luck,_ 'Edd' giggles a little, sitting up a little straighter, _I'm always here._

The toaster finally popping startles him, drawing his attention back to the boiling water and bubbling sauce. Rushing back over to the stove, he tries to ignore the giggling ringing in his ears in favor of placing the noodles into the boiling pot and turning down the temperature a bit on the sauce.

 _You're so high strung? What's wrong?_

"Fuck off," Terry snaps back, setting the toast on a plate and popping a couple more slices of bread into the toaster, "Nothing's wrong. Everything's _perfect._ You know that; I know that. You know that _because_ I know that."

 _So why do you sound so frustrated?_

"I'm not talking about this," Terry grumbles, "Especially not with myself.

He can feel the non-existent eyes on him as he tries to focus on the food. When everything's cooked, he piles the spaghetti and sauce onto one plate and the small collection of properly buttered toast onto another. Some of the marinara splatters on the table, but a quick once over with the dishrag takes care of that. Better now than when it gets dry and crusty and becomes a bitch to clean up. Tossing the rag onto the counter, he picks up the dishes to bring them to the bedroom.

 _Try and relax, okay?_ 'Edd' calls after him, _Everything will be fine._

He pauses for just a moment before continuing on his way, returning to the bedroom without another word.

Edd's delighted by the meal presented to him and is more than a little eager to dig right in. Their discussion from before is forgotten in an instant in favor of satisfying their hunger. Well, Edd's hunger, at least. Though Terry definitely indulges as well, he's far more interested in getting the meal out of the way. It's getting late and sure, he doesn't have to work tomorrow, but dammit, he doesn't feel like staying up _too_ much longer if he can help it. At least Edd eats quickly enough. His face scrunches up at bit at the taste of the store-bought sauce, but he doesn't complain for a second.

In fact, he starts giggling softly about midway through, covering his mouth to avoid spitting out the food. Terry gives him a suspicious look.

"What's so funny?"

A quick glance is directed at him before Edd returns his attention to his meal, shaking his head.

"I was just…" he begins slowly, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, "thinking about one of the last times I had spaghetti is all…" He giggles again, lost in his own little world as he mumbles to himself. "Ed made such a mess. It took me ages to clean the table. And the chairs. And the ceiling."

Another giggle, but this time with tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. Whether that's from nostalgia or sadness, Terry's not totally sure. Edd pauses, the giggles dying away and his smile falling ever so slightly.

"And Eddy…" he laughs again, more hollowly than before, "He couldn't figure out how to pick the pasta up with his fork…"

As though to demonstrate, he twirls his fork in the noodles. At this point, there's no question that what may have started as nostalgia has become sorrow as Edd slowly lowers the fork, abandoning his efforts to bring the carefully coiled bite to his lips. _Fucking dammit…_ The mention of his brother's name sends a wave of rage through Terry's veins, making his blood boil. _Why the hell is he even thinking about that little shit right now? I'm right here, dammit!_ After seething for what feels like forever, he finally notices the little whimpers that make the boy's body shake. Seriously? _Little Pipsqueak ruins everything!_

With a groan, he moves the plates away. Covering his face, Edd cowers away from Terry, drawing the man to roll his eyes.

"That's enough of that," he grumbles, urging Edd to look to him again so he can wipe away his tears, "I thought that's what you _wanted_ to eat?"

Sniffling, Edd leans into the hand cupping his cheek. He pauses, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself. Gazing up at Terry with a pout, he gently touches the large wrist.

"F-Forgive me…" he mumbles, "I was merely feeling…homesick…I-I'm okay now."

 _That was fast…?_

"How can I be sure?" Terry asks with a sneer, leaning closer, "How 'bout you show me you're not thinkin' about that anymore?"

The little blush he so loves to see on his Princess burns across his pretty face before Edd shyly leans in as well to close the gap between them. All fucks are thrown out with the taste of Edd's lips. The almost unnoticeable spice of the lingering sauce bites playfully at his tongue and he can feel the grittiness of some of the toast on the boy's teeth.

Pleased with Edd's performance, Terry pulls away and retrieves the plates so the kid can finish eating. This time, though, he has Edd sit in his lap and passes the time by sucking and nibbling on the slender shoulders rather than the food. As far as he's concerned, he's well past finished eating. Edd's the one who needs to get on with it so they can get to the good part. No protests past a bit of squirming and a few whimpers. Those sexy noises soon become moans as Terry's hands slither along his hips and thighs.

By the time the plate is more or less cleaned, he's reduced Edd to putty in his hands. Moving the tableware aside, Terry gets right down to business. He chuckles deviously at all of the little splatters of red sauce that have found their way onto the jersey over Edd's chest. A result of the kid being unable to handle the man's teasing, of course. He gets Edd on his back before the boy can blink and he's ridding them of their clothing as fast as he can. Throwing every garment away like it was burning them.

He doesn't forget the foreplay, of course. He wants Edd to want this just as bad as he does. As such, he goes back to sucking the skin on Edd's neck and shoulders around the collar, relishing in the wanton moans that escape the quivering child. His hands go to work on the sensitive skin of Edd's inner thighs, massaging up to his little cock. Edd's arms lock around his neck, pulling their bodies flush against each other. It's but a momentary distraction from his endeavors to bring Edd to full arousal.

Everything after that feels like a blur. Not that it's bad. On the contrary; it's only a blur because of how damn good it all felt. Edd clinging to him for dear life as he prepares the boy and subsequently thrusts into him hard enough to make the bed shake. Breaths shared because there's just no time to actually pull away from each other. Skin slapping loudly against skin and bodies drenched in sweat. Terry keeps one hand on the bed, using the other to support Edd's hips. If it wasn't for the fact that Edd's little legs were downright incapable of clinging to his own hips after a while, he probably wouldn't bother with that. When he finally _does_ manage to break away from the kiss, the only thing that tumbles from his lips is his name; stuttered and choked out because he just can't hope to catch the breath that was stolen from him. If Edd's arms weren't keeping him locked in place, he might've sat up to pull the kid's hips against his own to meet his thrusts.

When he reaches that delicious peak, his entire body tenses and his vision goes white. He can vaguely feel Edd tensing up too, a sure sign he managed to get his little darling to reach his orgasm at roughly the same time. As he begins to relax, panting heavily, he buries his face into Edd's shoulder, pulling him as close as he fucking can. It's perfect. _He's perfect…_ He can only just pull his flaccid cock out of the boy, drawing a soft whimper from Edd. Oh well. He goes back to nuzzling Edd's jaw.

"I love you so much…" he breathes into the soft, pale skin.

Edd's arms tighten around his neck a bit, but he's finding it more and more difficult to notice as he peppers kisses along Edd's flesh. As he feels sleep begin to take him, he swears he can hear Edd mumbling it back — reciprocating his love just like he was told to. But the words are mostly muffled as Terry feels his consciousness leaving him. But he definitely heard it.

…Right?


	23. Ch 22 - Make Your Edd Run Cold

Fuck…The static enshrouds his senses. No dreams yet, but consciousness still feels so far away. Nothing but silence and a darkness that feels like it's buzzing with hushed whispers and unintelligible stuttering. A thousand conversations at once. All he's completely aware of, though, is how completely and truly comfortable he is right now. Warm and so relaxed he would sooner die than try to move from this spot.

 _thumpth-thumpthump_

Which is why he's beginning to feel so damn upset that he can feel himself start to wake up. He groans very slightly as his arms close tight around the warm, little body beneath him. What the fuck? It _can't_ be morning already! There's no damn way he's slept all through the night. It's not so unheard of for him to wake up after sleeping only a couple of hours, but he's been sleeping so soundly as of late. But now? Something's…wrong.

 _th-thumpthump_

A noise…Yeah, that makes sense. A noise that's pitter-pattering across the floor. Did some varmint slip into the trailer when he came in last night? Did he leave a window open for something to sneak inside? Maybe one of the vents? With another groan, he drags his hand down his face, reluctantly admitting that he's indeed awake. Maybe a little midnight sex will help ease him back to sleep?

 _th-thumpthumpthump_

But, finally… _finally_ it hits him. As warm as he was feeling, it's _only_ him. The 'body' he thought he was cuddling is limp and lifeless and all fabric and stuffing. The presence he's so used to have sleeping alongside him, locked in place as he fucking well should be…It falls into place in his mind. The footsteps. Not some intruder looking for a scrap of food, but the timid steps of something fumbling to…

Adrenaline courses through his veins as he bolts upright in a panic. The bedroom door; carefully opened to let something slip away. The keys are still hanging from where they'd been carefully worked into the lock and turned. And beside him…

"Dammit!" he hisses, throwing the covers off of himself.

He reaches for his robe on the floor and is startled to find not only his jersey gone, but also his plaid overshirt. _Why the hell…_ He doesn't finish that thought, opting instead to frantically pull his pants on. If Edd grabbed the heavy, plaid shirt, it means he's trying to get out.

And it's cold as fuck out there.

Throwing his robe on over that, he grabs his keys from the door and gives chase. As he enters the hall, he spots him at the front door, struggling silently with the knob and the lock there. The plaid shirt is even bigger on him than the jersey, falling to the backs of his knees and concealing the entirety of his body from the back. The lock clicks open and he turns the knob.

"Get back here!" Terry snaps, his fingers curling into fists as he pushes himself away from the bedroom doorframe to take off after him.

Edd glances back at him briefly with a horrified look before he finally gets the door open. Without anymore hesitation, he races outside. Terry feels his blood run cold, panic freezing his mind as he fights to figure out what to do.

But Edd's not started screaming. He stops briefly when his bare feet hit the cold snow and his entire body tenses, but he forces his shivering legs to keep moving. Seizing his opportunity, Terry shoves the kitchen table aside, making it skid noisily against the floor, as he scrambles to grab the chloroform sitting on the kitchen counter and a dishrag from the edge of the sink. Edd's been slowed down by the cold, but he's sure to be on the move again before he can blink and he doubts he'll be stopped long. There's also the possibility that Edd manages to scream even after he gets his hands on him. He needs a contingency plan.

As expected, Edd's already started moving by the time he gets to the door and is running for the park attractions. Ignoring the burning cold against his feet, Terry follows. He glances around carefully as he does. Before he left, he didn't have a chance to catch the time, but the lights in the other trailers are all out. The only lighting in the entire park is coming from his place and the tall yellow lights on the paths.

Definitely didn't sleep through the night.

He curses under his breath as Edd stumbles between the various tents, food stands, and rides. Dammit! He stops after a moment, looking around for any sign of the kid. In the dim light, he can just barely make out the tiny footprints in the snow. Panting a bit, Terry follows them as they wind around the path, his steaming puffs of breath trailing behind him. He spots a few places where the snow is heavily disturbed, with a couple of handprints on the ground as well. _God dammit!_ The layer of snow on he ground isn't very high, but it's still enough that Edd's little feet must be going numb. If he doesn't get to him quick enough, he might get frostbite! Not to mention if he starts screaming…Why the fuck _isn't_ he screaming?! _At least I'd be able to fuckin'_ _ **find**_ _him if he was…_

He tries to move as quietly as possible, keeping an eye out for the red of the plaid shirt or the yellow of the jersey. Anything moving that might stand out enough for him to find. Glancing back at the gathering of mobile homes, he decides to try something different.

"Princess!" he calls. Not too loud so as to draw the attention of his coworkers (if they're even awake), but loud enough for Edd to hear him. "C'mon out, sweetheart!"

No answer, of course. He grits his teeth a bit.

"You must be so cold! Come back to me and I'll warm you up!"

Still nothing.

"I'll be gentle with you! If you just come out and come home, we can forget all about this! We can go back to being happy!"

Finally, he gets somewhere. Coming up on one of the food stands; the footprints end here. The door is closed, but the snow in front of it is stamped down, with a few clumps under the door leading inside. _Gotcha…_ Whoever worked here last (probably Dave — lazy motherfucker) must've forgotten to lock up. Lucky lucky. Pouring what is likely an excessive amount of the chloroform onto the rag in his hand, he creeps up on the door. He tries to stay low to avoid casting a shadow in the window as he gets closer. Brow furrowed, he carefully leans in, pressing his ear to the door. It's faint, but he can just make out Edd's muffled whimpering.

"… _tay calm…y calm…e home soon…find_ _…_ _exit_ _…_ _someone_ _…_ _help me_ _…_ _Moth…fath…Ed…Eddy…Jus…tay calm…_ "

Terry stands up a little bit with a grimace, still keeping out of the window, and slowly and carefully wraps his hand around the door handle. Glaring straight ahead, he makes his move. Twisting the handle and yanking the door open in one swift motion, he storms his way in. As he does, he finally gets that scream he's been anticipating for the past several minutes. Why Edd waited this damn long for that, he doesn't know, but he doesn't care. The sound is loud and echoes around him in the confined space. He's sure it's reaching far too. If anyone's around, they'll hear it. They'll come running.

He'll be caught.

He lunges at the boy, who's cowering in the corner against a cabinet and trying to make himself look as small as possible. Edd struggles against him, his scream silenced as he tries in vain to shove him away. Grabbing the back of the boy's head and digging his fingers into his hair, Terry shoves the rag over Edd's nose and mouth with the other, holding it tightly in place. Thrashing wildly, Edd grabs at Terry's wrist, scratching him in a desperate bid for freedom. Tears run fast down his cheeks, gathering in the cloth as he kicks frantically at Terry's legs and stomach. Terry nearly loses his grip when one of his feet makes contact with his crotch, sending a jolt of pain through his entire body. Gritting his teeth through the agony, Terry refuses to relent and squeezes Edd's cheeks and jaw as tight as he can to prevent him from slipping out of his shaking grip. It feels like forever, but finally, Edd's thrashing slows. He blinks his eyes open, glaring up at the man as his body goes lax. That doesn't last long, though, as he begins losing consciousness before falling limp in Terry's arms.

With a relieved sigh, Terry wraps the rag around Edd's head to ensure he continues breathing in the chloroform. It wore off way too damn fast last time and he can't risk that yet. Surely keeping him exposed to it will make sure he stays out longer? He groans, cradling his crotch as the throbbing pain persists. _Push through it, dammit…_ With shaking hands, he fumbles around the trailer in search of something — fucking _anything_ — to restrain Edd from trying to run again. He finds a collection of zip ties in one of the drawers and grabs a couple of them. He's seen Dave and Adam use these to lock certain things down on windy days. Usually tarps or banners that have to be attached to the trailer. Whatever. They're perfect. After attaching them to Edd's wrists and ankles — locking them together tightly — he steps back to calm himself and soothe his pain.

" _Hello?!_ "

Fuck.

Clearly no time to relax. Stepping outside, he shuts the door and tiptoes around the trailer to peek out at more of the park. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! He's not alone anymore. Mike and a few others are wandering about, shining flashlights and calling out for…someone.

 _Goddammit, Edd._

Adjusting his robe, he takes a breath and collects himself before stepping out.

"Hey!" he calls, hoping his voice doesn't sound too strained.

Mike turns to him, his entire face contorted in confusion. Aside from that, he looks dead on his feet. Probably just woke up from a dead sleep or somethin'. His dark eyes look sunken in and he's got heavy bags under them and his already greasy black hair looks even more messy. He's bundled up in a huge coat over his own robe and he was at least smart enough to pull on some fucking boots as well.

"'The fuck?" he guffaws after recognizing his employee approaching him, "What's going on, man? We heard a scream?"

"Yeah, yeah," Terry waves, "I heard it too, but I got it all taken care of."

"The fuck does that mean?" Mike groans, crossing his arms over his chest.

 _Uhh…_

"It _means…_ " Terry begins in a matter-of-fact tone which quickly trickles away as he tries to piece together a story, "That uh…a bunch of…teenagers snuck into the park."

"Teenagers?" Mike cocks his brow, "A bunch of teenagers broke into an amusement park at three in the morning? In winter?"

Terry scoffs; "W…Yeah. What? You don't believe me? I did a helluva lot worse than that when I was their age."

"Well, _that_ I believe…" Mike grumbles, shifting from side to side, "What was with the scream?"

" _Hey!_ "

Their attention is redirected as a woman runs up to them. She's looking just as disheveled as Mike, but for vastly different reasons. Her fiery red hair is curled tightly against her head, but some of it looks to be coming out from the coils. She's bundled up a lot more than Mike is, in a big furry coat, a scarf that looks like it could span the length of a football field, and a pair of mittens. _A little much…?_ It's cold out here, sure, but not _that_ cold. Her footwear is probably less than ideal for the snow, though, as she could only grab a pair of rubber wading boots.

"What's going on?" she huffs, "Does the fatass know something?"

"Yeah, fuck you too, Sheena," Terry spits back.

"You're the one in a bathrobe and pants with no shirt," Sheena scoffs back, rubbing her arms, "I just call it like I see it."

"I return you to my previous statement," Terry sneers, "Fuck you too."

"Enough," Mike groans, massaging his temple, "Goddamit. I could be sleeping right now, Terry. What the fuck's goin' on?"

Well, if there's one good thing that came from Sheena's interruption, it's that it's given Terry a chance to get his story straight in his own head. Perfect timing, too, as several other people approach them. Looks about right. There's only a handful of people who actually live in the park and even fewer who stayed for the holidays. Mike and Sheena were probably banging, so even if either of them had families to go back to, they'd probably stick around here just for that anyway. Then there's Paul, Steve, and Russ. Three surly-lookin' motherfuckers wearing mostly light jackets over their boxers. Paul was more weasley than the other two, with stringy hair sprouting around a bald spot that took up most of the top of his head. Steve looked like someone out of a mob movie and kinda talked like one too, and Russ is almost positively on something illegal. For that matter, he's never really known _much_ about them or their home lives, but he has a pretty strong feeling one or two of them might be a convict. Steve in particular liked to talk about shit he snatched from local stores. Come to think of it, he's pretty sure it was Steve who left the food trailers open at night just so he could swipe some of the stock. _Answers a few questions._

"Jesus, settle down, man," he replies with a grumble as he rubs his eyes, "I told you, I took care of it. A bunch of bratty fuckin' teenagers broke in — probably some kinda bullshit dare or somethin' like that — and when I found 'em, I scared 'em off."

"That makes sense," Sheena snickers, "If I saw you comin' at me in the dark, I'd run too."

He hears Russ giggle behind his hand, making him grimace.

"Why are you _here?_ " Terry retorts, glaring at her, "Isn't there a pole somewhere you could be grinding on right about now?"

Sheena opens her mouth to retort, when Mike waves his hands.

"Alright, alright!" he snaps, "That's enough, dammit! It's too goddamn early for this bullshit. What about the scream?"

Ignoring the hateful look he's receiving, Terry strokes his goatee; "Oh, well, when I caught one of 'em, I scared the piss out of 'im and he screamed like a little bitch. They fucked off after that."

"Only _one_ of 'em screamed?" Paul asks, shooting him a suspicious look.

"They were a bunch of teenage boys," Terry shrugs back, "Y'know how it is. Gotta act all macho n' shit. Specially when one of your buddies is actin' like a pussy."

The men seem to accept that answer — some of them were probably in similar situations themselves — but Sheena still looks suspicious.

"What were _you_ doing out here?" she asks, brow and hip cocked as she leans her weight on one leg, "Aint you up past your bedtime?"

 _Shit…_

"I needed to get some air…"

"Where are your shoes?" she presses, her eyes shifting down to his feet, then back to his face.

 _Fuckin' cunt!_

"Like I said," he snarls back through his teeth, "I needed some air. Wasn't gonna be out long, so I just walked out of my trailer to stand outside the door. I saw some flashlights and figured some little fuckers must've snuck in. So I ran off to take care of 'em."

"What're you doin' up at three in the morning?" Mike asks.

"Just feelin' the stress of the holidays," Terry shrugs back, "My folks've been ridin' my ass for months to come home for Christmas. Well, my mom has. My old man wouldn't care if I ended up dead in a ditch somewhere…Anyway, I ain't been sleepin' well."

Mike hums thoughtfully, rubbing his face. After a moment, he yawns.

"Alright fine," he sighs, "That all sounds like bullshit, but I don't feel like dealing with this right now."

"Does this mean we can go back to bed?" Russ asks.

"Yeah," Mike replies with another yawn, "I'll check the rides for damage n' graffiti n' shit in the morning. For now, I'm gettin' my ass back to bed."

"I'm gonna hang back," Terry states, hoping it sounds enough like an offer, "Give the place a once over n' make sure those little bastards really are gone."

"That's awfully helpful of you…" Paul comments with a snide grin.

"Hey, I just don't feel like cleanin' up their shit if they're tryin' to stay the night," Terry shrugs, raising his arms defensively, "Just flushin' out the rats, y'know?"

Sheena scoffs, turning back to the mobile homes; "You have fun with that. I'm going the fuck back to bed."

"Yeah, that's a one-man job," Steve waves, following her, "You can handle it yaself."

Paul and Russ begin walking off as well, stretching and yawning as they grumble about 'getting up for nothing'. Mike shoots Terry a grimace.

"Don't stay out here too long," he warns, "No shoes on? You'll get frostbite."

"Aww, Mike," Terry says with a mock coo, "Ya _do_ care."

"Hardly," Mike begins walking away with the others, "If they gotta amputate your feet cuz you were too stupid to wear shoes in winter, I'll be out an employee."

 _That sounds about right…_

"Really feelin' the love there, asshole…" Terry mutters under his breath, crossing his arms over his chest.

Standing in the same spot all this time has really driven home how cold it actually _has_ gotten. His feet feel like they're burning… _That can't be good._ Once they're far enough away, he returns to the food trailer and slips back inside. Edd still seems to be out, for the most part, but he's squirming slightly on the floor. Closing the door behind him, Terry takes a seat on the floor. He can't risk bringing Edd back right away. He'll have to let some time pass before he heads home. Taking his robe off, he wraps his feet up in it before leaning against the door.

Glancing over at his captive, he finally gets a good look at him. The bottle of chloroform is laying on its side, tucked under a cabinet. Fuck, he didn't even think about that while he was talking to Mike and the others. Thank god that was in here. Looking over Edd, he notices that he took a few precautions before running away (again). Aside from the plaid overshirt and jersey, it seems he also took the time to find himself a pair of boxers. Terry thinks back to when he woke up. The boxers he'd been wearing were still on the floor with his pants. Did Edd seriously go through his dresser to find a 'clean pair'? Well, knowing Edd, that kinda makes sense. But that raises another concern. How long has Edd been planning out this little stunt? He clearly didn't plan very far ahead — the fact that he only made it as far as the park proves that much — but he did manage to get out.

He gets a sense of deja-vu as he sits here, thinking over everything that's led up to this. Everything he did wrong. He gave him too many freedoms, clearly. He was too nice to him. Too compassionate and gentle. But it all seemed to have fallen into place so well! Edd had been behaving himself perfectly. Well…Now it's kind've obvious that it was all a front, but still. Being mean to him and torturing him is _not_ what he wants. He was supposed to be providing a happy life for his little darling. Not making him more miserable than he was at home with those horrible parents. But how could he do that with Edd making things so damn difficult?

Well, either way, he doesn't have a choice tonight. Edd fucked up and he'll be dealing with that properly when he gets him home. Into a nice, soundproofed room where no one will ever hear him scream again. He'll make him cry. Make him bleed. Make him regret ever making such a bold, cruel attempt as this. He won't go too far. He won't break anything. Won't knock anything loose. Just do enough damage to leave Edd in pain for a few agonizing days.

When the feeling has returned to his feet, he carefully unwraps the robe to inspect them. Still a little red, but the numbness has faded significantly and he can still move his toes. _Thank God for small miracles, I guess…_ Rising to his feet, he throws the robe back on and opens the door. Before anything else, he's gotta go scope out his coworkers' trailers to make sure the coast is clear. When they come into view, he finds all of their lights out with the exception of his own. His door seems to have swung closed, but it's not secure by any means. He can still see it moving in and out. Everything's quiet again.

It's now or never.

Relieved, he returns to the food trailer, and takes a moment to put everything back where it should be and pocket the bottle of chloroform. With that done, he hoists Edd over his shoulder. It gets him a tiny whimper in response, but that's about it before Edd goes silent again. Sighing softly, Terry leaves the trailer once and for all, locking the door from the inside before closing it behind him for the last touch.

Though he's sure everyone's back in their trailers, he's still careful as he sneaks between the different stands and rides. When his trailer is in sight, he takes a long look at the windows, waiting for any sign of movement. Certain that he's in the clear, he makes a break for it. He hardly notices the snow beneath his feet, but he doesn't care. As he reaches his door, he slows himself down to prevent any unnecessary noise before slipping inside. He sets Edd down beside the door before taking one last look around.

No movement. No sound. Satisfied, he closes the door and secures the many locks.

Resting his forehead against the door, he takes a moment to calm down. There's probably a lot of damage control to do in the morning with them, but for now he's safe. Now he can deal with the damage control in _here._

Shooting Edd the most hateful look he can muster, he kneels down. Removing the makeshift gag, he stands straight and sets it and the bottle on the kitchen table. He'll put them away later. When that's done, he returns to Edd and grabs the collar of the jacket before dragging him to the bathroom. As he enters, he hears Edd start groaning. Good. Let him wake up.

Before taking care of him, he leaves the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He retrieves the keys from the bedroom door first, then the handcuffs from the drawer. He won't need anything else. Just this. Other than that he roots around on the top of his dresser in search of a pocket knife. Once he finds it, he returns to the bathroom.

Edd's awake now and struggling against the painfully tight bonds around his wrists. He stops dead when Terry shuts and locks the door behind him and his eyes grow wide in horror as he _flicks_ open the blade. Oh, but Terry has no intention of using the knife on Edd's body. All he does is remove the plastic ties. Not to make Edd comfortable, of course, but to remove his clothes from the boy. Off comes the red plaid. Off comes the jersey. He's a bit taken aback by the fact that Edd had gathered the waistband of his boxers and tied them off just above his hip so they would stay on his scrawny body. Fuck him for being so fuckin' cute. Of course, Edd doesn't just 'let' him do this. He struggles like mad, thrashing and kicking him again. Screaming and sobbing for him to leave him be and let him go. A few sharp slaps to the face distract him enough to put a stop to _that._

After throwing the clothes, knife, and broken zip ties out into the hall, Terry locks them back in. Edd goes still when the man turns to him. He's sure the look on his face could fucking kill. _Damn straight._ Without a word, he cracks his knuckles, prepared to make it as painful a night as he fucking can.


	24. Ch 23 - Win by an Edd

The morning after feels just as miserable as the night before. As Terry steps into the kitchen, feeling worse than he has in months, he opens up a bottle of beer. He'll probably have to deal with Mike and some questions today. Best to give himself something to calm his nerves so he can get his story straight. Fuck. He's still pretty tired from last night, too. He's not even sure when he finally got to sleep. Sometime after five a.m, maybe? Either way, he'd give anything for a few more hours of sleep, but after the events of last night, it's definitely out of the question.

Oh well. He can take some solace knowing that Edd is almost certainly feeling infinitely worse. The carpet of his bathroom is stained with blood and the kid looked like a goddamn rag doll when he stepped in to use the toilet a few minutes ago. After a gentle nudge, however, Edd showed he was still capable of responding and moving, so he hadn't gone _too_ far.

But he's still left with a predicament. Everything leading up to this clearly didn't work. All of Edd's good behavior meant nothing. He was biding his time, waiting for the best moment to slip away. To try again to leave him. It sent a pang of hurt emanating through his chest. A cold feeling that tried to numb him, but only compounded the pain that much more. Sitting down at the table, he rubs his tired, burning eyes. When he's finished with Mike, he's going back to bed and sleeping till tomorrow.

When he opens his eyes again, Edd — or the closest facsimile thereof — is sitting across from him, looking remorseful. Terry shoots him a grimace.

"Paranoid, huh?" he spits, "Y'still think I was bein' 'paranoid'?"

'Edd' doesn't respond, only stares at him as he leans against the table, his arms crossed lazily in front of him.

"I fucked up," Terry goes on, his grip on the neck of the bottle tightening a bit, "I let myself go soft and didn't see the forest through the goddamn trees. And when I let myself relax…he tried to leave me."

Still no response.

"Now what the fuck am I gonna do?" he growls, digging his nails into his own scalp, "I've tried being as punishing as possible. I've tried being gentle. I've tried humiliating him. I've tried praising him. What the _fuck_ is left?!"

He does receive a response this time, but only in the form of an uncertain shrug. Dammit…Sighing, he holds his head in his hands, glaring down at the table. He's not going to get any answers talking to himself. Not yet, at least.

Rising from the table, he retreats to his bedroom to dress himself. Better track Mike down. Maybe he can scam a free lunch out of him too? But first…

"Kay…" he sighs to himself as he pulls on his clothes, "So a bunch of teenagers snuck into the park last night — tryin' to spend the night, maybe? I was gettin' some air when I saw their flashlights. Hmm…"

He pauses. Fuck, what if he doesn't buy that part? Okay, he'll need a backup…Why would he ever be out in the park so late at night? He could play the sympathy card? With the park closed, it's not like he's getting paid save for the occasional odd job Mike asks of him.

"I'm runnin' kinda low on groceries and I'm a little strapped for cash…" he muses, "Have a heart, man…I was feelin' a little desperate…"

Ugh…He hated the thought of groveling, but Mike was sure to buy into groveling more. And it might sound more convincing for him to have stumbled across a bunch of brats while he was scrounging for food. Yeah…worth a shot.

With his story in mind, he bundles himself up in a warmer coat and leaves the trailer. He doesn't bother checking in on Edd. _Little shit can rot for now…_ As he walks out into the midday air, he's nearly blinded by the sun reflecting off the snow. There may not be much, but it was certainly enough to catch a person off guard when they walk outside. Locking up behind him, he walks into the park. His coworkers don't seem to give two shits about coming out for any reason, so it takes a minute to find anyone.

But he soon comes upon the boss man himself, checking over the food stand where he found Edd last night. Shit…

"Any damage?" he calls, hoping he sounds nonchalant, yet curious.

Mike stands up straight, turning to him. With a grimace he takes a step away from the trailer, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Surprisingly, no…" he replies, shooting him a suspicious look, "Nothin' stolen and nothin' damaged. Is this where you found 'em?"

"Uh…yeah," Terry nods, "One of 'em, at least…"

"Uh huh…" Mike studies him carefully, "How many kids _were_ there?"

"Uh…" Terry starts rubbing the back of his neck, trying to look like he's thinking, "Two or three, I think…It was pretty dark."

"Interesting…" Mike murmurs, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

"What, cuz a bunch of dumb kids would try n' stay the night in an amusement park?"

"No," Mike shrugs, struggling for a moment to work the lighter in the cold, "that there weren't any other footprints anywhere else in the park. Just yours and another set."

 _Fuck._

After taking a drag off the cigarette, Mike shoots him a knowing look.

"And I find it hard to believe you were just out for air," he continues, "So you wanna tell me what _actually_ happened last night? Or should I call the cops and have _them_ work it out?"

Terry grinds his teeth a bit, thinking about what he should say. Finally, he sighs in defeat.

"Alright, alright…" he mumbles, "Look, there _was_ a kid running around out here last night. When I found him, he ran. When I caught him, he screamed and when I got him to calm down, he said he was put up to it by some friends. So I figured they were out here too. And when you guys showed up, I took my eyes off him for a second and he was gone."

"Uh huh…" Mike nearly scoffs, "So why were _you_ out here?"

Again, Terry sighs, this time crossing his arms over his chest. _Time to break out the sympathy card._

"Alright, man," he grumbles, "I'll level with ya. With the park bein' closed for the season, I've been kinda strapped for cash…And I've had a few recent…'expenses' that have left me hurtin' for money." _Pause for effect._ "And I'm runnin' low on groceries."

"So you were stealing food?" Mike guesses, sounding offended.

"It's not like I'm proud of it," Terry snaps back defensively, "I was feelin' desperate. And I wasn't gonna take much. Just…enough. I figured I'd wait till late at night and see if I could scrounge anything from the food trailers." Shaking his head, he raises his hands defensively. "But I didn't take anything last night. When I saw that kid running around, I took care of him and decided that it wasn't worth it to swipe anything…"

"Even though you coulda blamed it on him?"

Terry gives him a quizzical look before cursing under his breath.

"Shit, you're right," he snarls, "Coulda done that."

"And your shoes?"

Terry shrugs; "Eh…wanted to be as quiet as possible. And it wasn't _that_ cold. Sheena was seriously overdressed."

"All that, just to swipe some food?" Mike sums up, crossing his arms over his chest as he takes another long drag from his cigarette.

"Like I said…" Terry replies, "I ain't proud of it."

He looks away, hoping he looks at least somewhat remorseful as he waits for Mike's response. It feels like an eternity before he finally gets it in the form of a long sigh.

"Well, the brat didn't take anything and neither did you," he sighs, "And I guess I should thank you for dealing with a trespasser…" He pauses, stroking his chin in thought. "Alright, as long as you stay the hell out of the food stands at night, I'll let it go."

Terry forces out a sigh of relief; "Thanks man…"

"Don't thank me yet," Mike counters, "That's a fuckin' strike. I'm willin' to let it go cuz hiring someone new would be a bitch of a process, but I can't just _forget_ that you were gonna steal from me."

"Right…" Terry mumbles.

"But again," Mike relents, "you also managed to catch a trespasser and you didn't actually steal anything — which I do believe. So…I call it square. Just know that you're on thin ice from here on out, y'hear me?"

"Got it," Terry nods.

"Alright, I'm gonna get back to some maintenance," Mike states, flicking the cigarette butt away into the snow, "I'll call ya if I need help."

"No problem…" Terry mumbles as he turns to leave.

"Damn straight," Mike comments with a smirk, "You're gonna be at my beck n' call till I feel like I can trust you again."

"Did you ever?" Terry asks, confused.

"Not really, but now it's even less."

Without waiting for any more of a response, Mike takes off towards a nearby ride. As Terry trudges back home, rolling his eyes, he feels a bit of a weight in his stomach. He'll have to be more careful from now on. No more slip-ups. That means he can't take any more chances with Edd.

Speaking of whom…

As he locks his door up behind him, he decides it's about time to go check in on the little backstabbing brat. With that in mind, he returns to the bathroom and slips inside. He doesn't bother locking the door, but doesn't move away from it, instead leaning against it. Edd's moved himself to the bathtub and is curled up with his back against the porcelain. He's also managed to fill the tub with water, but he can tell by the kid's shivering that it's far from warm anymore. The bath has washed away the blood, leaving the water tinged a clear, if not slightly milky pink. Because of that, he can now see the extent of the damage, namely the mass of bruises splotching the otherwise perfect flesh. Despite the agony his bruises and blood represent, Edd looks rather peaceful. His eyes are closed and his breathing slow — almost like he's sleeping. He doesn't acknowledge Terry right away. Did he even hear him come in?

Terry clears his throat to get his attention. Edd's not sleeping, but he doesn't open his eyes. Only furrows his brow and bows his head. It makes the man grimace.

"Sleep well, Princess?" he asks, hoping to tease him.

No answer. Dammit…

"Have a nice bath?"

Still nothing. Edd does shift a bit in the tub to get more comfortable, but otherwise doesn't say or do anything in response. Suddenly, however, he gasps once, twice — covers his face with his hand — before violently sneezing. As he pants and sniffles, he tries curling up again. Terry scoffs.

"That's what you _get_ for runnin' around half naked n' barefoot in the fuckin' snow."

Edd gets a mean look no his face, but he still won't look at him. Pushing himself off the door just a bit, Terry takes a step towards the tub. He's still close enough to the door to stop Edd from reaching it if he were to try running again. Not that he expects _that_ to happen. Dripping wet as he is and clearly sick from his earlier attempt, he'd catch his death trying to escape now.

"Why are you fighting me like this?" he asks with a snarl, "After everything I've done for you…you try n' leave me."

Finally, Edd raises his head again. His red eyes are open now and they're focusing a glare right at Terry. But still, he remains silent; only glares with the most intense hate he can muster. Terry returns the look, but not for long as he backs down.

"Fine," he spits, placing his hand on the door knob, "You just sit there in silence. Until you give me an answer, you aint leavin' this room!"

Without another word, he steps back out and locks the bathroom up again. It's surprisingly hurtful. To be given that hateful look and only silence in reply. But he's already beaten him. He can't ramp it up without possibly doing irreparable damage. Besides, that clearly hasn't been working…Huffing, he retreats to the kitchen with his tail between his legs, seeking the comfort of his booze.

* * *

Days pass, but nothing is resolved. Mike has him working a bit on the rides — cleaning the snow off of them and making sure they're still operable. He doesn't mind much. He gets a free meal for his troubles and it's a nice break away from Edd and his stoicism. In the near week that's passed, the boy refuses to give him the time of day. He hasn't spoken a word since that night and will hardly look in Terry's general direction. He'll acknowledge the man's presence when he needs to bathe and when Terry brings him chicken soup for his cold, but that's about it, and even then he refuses to speak. And forget fucking him. Aside from Edd's absolute refusal to even look at him, he's found himself too frustrated to even make the attempt. Suffice it to say, he's feeling a little pent up. It's fucking maddening.

The biggest break in the monotony comes from a phone call a few days after the incident. The ring he purchased is ready to be picked up. Fuck. Aint no way he's giving Edd such a gift _now_. He tries his damnedest to get them to refund him.

"Turns out I won't be needing it anymore," he throws out vaguely, "Any chance I can get my money back?"

He hears the fucker huff over the line.

" _I'm very sorry, sir,_ " he states tersely and probably through his teeth, " _But we are not at liberty to offer a refund for your purchase at this time. It is against our policy to provide a refund during the week of Christmas._ "

"Are you serious?" Terry snaps, "You afraid you're gonna lose your fuckin' bonus or some shit? I told you. I don't want it."

" _And I told you,_ _ **sir,**_ " the man spits, " _that we cannot refund your money. You may still pick up your item any time, but we cannot refund your money._ "

"Who's your manager?" Terry asks, "I wanna talk to him."

" _I'm sorry to burst your bubble,_ " the jeweler replies, a smirk clear in his voice, " _but I_ _ **am**_ _the manager. And the answer is still no._ "

 _Goddammit…_

"Fine," Terry grumbles, "I'll come pick it up now."

" _Excellent,_ " he rolls his eyes at the snooty retort, " _We'll see you soon, sir. Please bear in mind that we close tonight at eight o'clock._ "

"Why so damn early?!"

" _Holiday hours. Have a lovely day,_ _ **sir.**_ "

The line buzzes as he's disconnected and Terry slams the phone down with a curse. Asshole. Oh well, maybe he can pawn it somewhere after the holidays? Or…if anything, he could hold onto it for something else? Grabbing his coat, he pulls it on and grabs his keys. He takes a long look towards the bathroom. Maybe if he tries again, Edd will actually talk to him? Maybe if he tells him he's going to get him a present? But, as he stares back at the door, he knows that won't work. _It's pointless…_ Reluctantly, he turns away and walks out of the trailer.

The fresh air feels good, at least, cooling his heated skin as he trudges out to his van. He doesn't take off right away, instead dragging his nails along his scalp as he leans against the wheel. This isn't like manipulating Eddy. The little Pipsqueak worshipped the ground he walked on. All he had to do was give him a little attention — maybe a good, sharp smack — and he'd bend over backwards to obey. But not Edd…No, his little darling has proven he's more stubborn and unwilling to yield. Unwilling to bend to his will and give in to him. And the tactics he's familiar with are useless against Edd.

Taking a deep breath, he sits back in the seat. The more he stresses about this, the less he's getting done. Resigned, he starts up the van and drives away. There's significantly less traffic than before. Good. He doesn't feel like sitting in his van like a fucking asshole. The jewelry store is also pretty quiet, but there are a few patrons milling about. Behind the counter is a very tired looking girl, with heavy bags under her eyes and her once perfectly done hair coming out of her bun.

"Hello, sir," she begins wearily, "How may I help you today?"

"I'm here to pick up a fucking ring," Terry snarls back, "Some douchebag called to say it was available for pickup."

Her face burns indignantly, but she nods in understanding. After getting his information and filling out the forms for pick-up, she disappears into the back room. She returns after a few minutes and presents to him a very pretty black box.

"Here you are," she mumbles with a smile.

Scoffing, Terry opens the box to look over the trinket.

"Don't even want this shit anymore…" he growls, "But some asshat told me I can't get my money back."

Her shoulders fall as she gives him as sincere a frown as possible.

"I'm terribly sorry," she says, on the verge of tears, "I know our policy can be very frustrating…" She pauses, biting her lip and giving a careful look around before lowering her voice. "I…could possibly offer you some store credit towards a future purchase?"

Terry grimaces, suddenly feeling like an ass. This one's clearly exhausted from her holiday hours and just wants to alleviate the situation — even if it means getting into trouble with her higher-ups. And at least she wasn't a total bitch about his own shitty attitude…With a sigh, he stands straight.

"Nah, it's fine," he replies, "Thanks anyway."

As he turns to leave, he notices her pouting — probably afraid of being reported. In a last ditch attempt, she throws out one last comment.

"For what it's worth," she calls after him, as he reaches the door, "It's a very pretty ring!"

He pauses, his hand on the frame as he glances back at her; "Thanks."

With a small smile, she waves.

"Have a nice day. And merry Christmas!"

Rolling his eyes, he waves her off over his shoulder as he pushes his way out of the shop. The place was run by a shithead, but at least his employees weren't so bad.

On the way home, he has to swing by a gas station to fill up his tank. While he does, he spots the grocery store across the street. Christmas is in a couple days. Maybe he can at least get Edd to talk with a gift? But not that fuckin' ring. _He doesn't deserve that._ But maybe something small. He couldn't resist that jawbreaker on Black Friday. Maybe that'll get him to open up a bit?

* * *

When he returns home, he heads to his bedroom first to stow away the ring, keeping the jawbreaker in the pocket of his plaid shirt. Returning to the bathroom, he finds Edd again sitting in the water. It's some weird way he can keep warm, he assumes, but it seems like something he's doing out of spite. He's refused all of Terry's offerings of towels to dry off and cover himself with. It's damn infuriating. As mad as he is with Edd for what he did, he doesn't want him staying sick or possibly getting worse. But to no avail. So in the water, Edd remains, stubbornly staying warm in a silly way just to spite his captor.

The moment he comes in and Edd spots him, the boy averts his gaze, glaring in some odd direction as he removes a couple sheets of toilet paper from a roll sitting on the porcelain ledge. It's been whittled down significantly and discarded tissues are gathered around the wastebasket, indicating that he's been keeping the 'tissues' close so he doesn't have to get out of the water.. Locking the door behind him, Terry steps into the room and unplugs the tub to drain away the water. Gritting his teeth, Edd's hateful look intensifies, but he still says nothing. Fighting back his anger, Terry forces a smile, reaching into his pocket.

"I have something for you," he coos, revealing the jawbreaker.

Edd's eyes flicker from Terry's face to the candy for a brief moment, but they don't linger there, instead returning to glare at the man before him. Cocking his brow, Terry holds the jawbreaker towards him.

"You love these," he notes, "Don't you want—"

Before he can finish, the candy is slapped out of his hand, and sent to the floor. Still, Edd never breaks eye contact, still gazing at him in rage. Terry watches the candy roll away and settle beneath the sink before returning his attention to Edd.

"Why are you actin' like this?" Terry snarls, glaring right back at him, "Why are you fightin' me like this?"

Edd doesn't answer, only glares back. With a growl, Terry grabs his arm an yanks Edd towards him.

" _Answer me!_ " he roars, "Why are you being so damn stubborn?!"

Edd struggles to shove him away.

"Why do you _think?!_ " he cries back, his voice sounding hoarse and painful.

 _Finally, an answer._ Terry lets him pull away to curl up and press himself against the porcelain wall of the tub. He sobs pitifully, holding his bruised arms and bowing his head. His sobbing is broken with hoarse coughing, which persists but a moment before he manages to calm down again.

"I want to go _home!_ " he weeps, "That's all I've wanted since you _dragged_ me here however long ago!"

He calms a bit, his body slumping against the tub as he shakes from his sobbing.

"Why?" Terry demands, gripping the ledge of the tub in one hand as he rests the other against the wall behind Edd to lean over him, "I've given you _everything_ you could possibly need here. Why would you ever want to go back to that fucking shithole I pulled you out of?!"

"Because I have people waiting for me!" Edd snaps back before shrinking in on himself again, "M-Mother and father…Ed…E-Eddy…Th-They miss me! They're waiting for me to come home…H-Hoping beyond hope that I'll return to them _alive!_ " He curls in and away from the man. "I want to go home…I-I _need_ to go home to them…"

That's _it?!_ Hope…? He's just hopeful that he even has something to go home to? Well…that should be easy enough to fix.

"Hate to break it to you, _Princess,_ " he retorts coldly, "But that couldn't be farther from the truth." He leans in closer. "Those folks of yours don't give half a shit about you. And those friends of yours are no better. No body misses you. None of those fuckers care about you."

"Stop it!" Edd sobs, covering his ears with his hands and bowing his head, "You're lying! That's all you ever do! Lie! _You're_ the one who doesn't care about me!"

Terry's vision bleeds red as he raises his hand to hit him. But…

Fuck…

It won't do any good. It won't make Edd obey him. It won't make him listen or give in to him. Instead, he rises to his feet, wiping his wet arm off on his jacket. Retrieving the jawbreaker, he says nothing as he leaves the bathroom again. He can feel Edd's eyes upon him. Maybe that means he's scared of what's to come.

Good.

He storms back to the kitchen and rips open his fridge for a beer, which he gulps down swiftly before moving on to the next. As expected, when he turns around, third bottle in hand, he's met with his darling little fantasy, who's gazing at him sorrowfully. Taking a seat across from him at the table, he rests his head in his hands.

"What the fuck am I supposed to do?" he grumbles, "He's not going to listen to me or do what I say. He just gonna keep fighting me. I can't be nice. I can't be mean. What the fuck do I _do?_ "

He's met with the silence he expects, but after a moment, he gets a hesitant answer.

 _Perhaps you should get away for a bit?_ 'Edd' suggests, _It may help you clear your head if you step away from the problem?_

He scoffs, opening his mouth to retort. To comment on how stupid an idea that is. Where would he go? How will that help? But then he stops. He _does_ have a place to go. The invitation is still there. And it might keep them off his back if he indulges them for a bit. Licking his lips, he stands and walks over to the phone on the counter. Glancing at the microwave, he finds that it's a little after 7:30. _Should still be awake._ Picking up the phone, he punches in the number and brings it to his ear while taking a long, soothing swig from his bottle. After a few rings, a voice answers.

" _Sampson residence?_ "

Goddammit, of all the people who had to pick up…Swallowing thickly, he rolls his eyes.

"It's me," he grumbles.

" _Oh,_ " Tony scoffs back, " _What do_ _ **you**_ _want?_ "

"Just callin' to let you n' mom know I'm definitely comin' down for Christmas."

" _Really?_ " Tony asks, sounding genuinely surprised, " _Why? You acted like it would kill ya to come home for a bit._ "

"Yeah, well, shit's gettin' frustrating around here so I need to get away," Terry begrudgingly explains as he leans back against the counter, "But I'm only comin' down for the day. I ain't putting up with _you_ for any longer than that."

" _Couldn't agree more,_ " Tony grumbles back, " _But your mother will at least be happy that you're comin' home for even that long. And your brother will be happy about it too. You_ _ **better**_ _bring that boy a present._ "

"What?!" Terry guffaws, "Why?! I'm sure you n' mom are gonna load the little Pipsqueak up with fuckin' presents. Why should _I_ give him anything?!"

" _Just do it, Terry,_ " Tony snaps back, " _It's the least you can do for him._ "

"Ugh! Fine," Terry sighs, "I'll see what I can do."

He doesn't bother with goodbyes as he hangs up, slamming the phone back down on the counter. Well, he knows a place he can get something for Eddy. And if nothing else, he can throw in Edd's jawbreaker too. Eddy likes those. And hell, the long drive will feel good. A day away.

Just what he needs.


	25. Ch 24 - Bro and All

Terry heads out a little after noon the next day. Not to head home, of course, but to make a quick stop to pick up some last minute supplies. Stores are not likely to stay open long for Christmas Eve, so he'll want to get this out of the way sooner rather than later. Not to mention, he'd also rather not deal with questions from Mike about why he's buying groceries when he's supposedly low on cash. It's not like he's getting much, though — just enough for Edd. He's sure as shit not bringing the kid back to the cul-de-sac with him (especially not after that night), so he'll need to make sure he has everything he needs to spend the day alone and cooped up in the bathroom. He sticks with foods that can be prepared without heat and don't require refrigeration. Cereal — his folks had some Chunky Puffs in the pantry back home, meaning Eddy liked them, so he imagines it's probably the same with Edd — potato chips and some already popped popcorn in a bag. Just some snacks Edd can indulge in while he's gone. It'll be his own little Christmas feast. _Just goes to show how fuckin' generous I am_. He also adds a few more cans of chicken soup to the purchase — just to make sure he has enough — and grabs a small case of bottled water.

Before heading home, he stops off at the sex shop and peruses their selection of magazines. If there's one thing Eddy always clambered for, it was his collection of porn. So this'll be enough of a gift for the brat. He picks out a couple that would be most titillating to the little twerp and asks the cashier to give him a brown paper bag for him to keep them in. Like hell he's gonna bother wrapping these. Hell, he's not even gonna give them to Eddy while their parents are in the room. He's already putting up with his old man being an asshole, he's not gonna let him bitch and moan about giving his brother porn…again. And, to save face, he decides to just give Eddy the jawbreaker he was going to give to Edd. After all, Edd refused it and it might assuage his parents a little.

When he returns to the trailer, he sneaks the groceries inside and leaves them on the kitchen table. No sense in giving them to Edd _now_. He'll take care of that tomorrow. In the meantime, though, he does go to check in on him, grabbing a couple of towels from the closet on the way. As he walks in, he notices that the water Edd's made a habit of sitting in to keep warm is gone, leaving the boy shivering in the empty tub instead. He grimaces a bit.

"Y'know," Terry snarls as he closes the door and locks it behind him, "you'd start to actually _feel_ better if you'd stop bein' so damn stubborn."

Edd doesn't respond, keeping his head bowed. Rolling his eyes, Terry storms over to him. As he leans forward, reaching for the scrawny, quivering arm, Edd finally glances at him. Eyes wide, he tries to scramble away to avoid being grabbed again. But, of course, he doesn't make it far before Terry manages to catch him and hoist him out of the tub.

"Let _go_ of me!" Edd snaps, struggling to pull his arm away as he beats his tiny fists against Terry's chest and arms, "Take your hands _off_ of me!"

With something between a grimace and a wince, Terry smacks Edd sharply to make him cease his struggling for a moment. When he's distracted enough, Terry throws one of the towels over him, rubbing his arms up and down to both dry him off and warm him up. Edd tries to jerk away once or twice, but, as his chilled skin begins to soak in the warmth, he reluctantly gives in. He bows his head, whimpering and whining in a pitiful attempt to keep fighting back despite his body leaning into Terry's chest.

"That's better," Terry coos smugly, "Now, I'm gonna go make you a nice bowl o' soup. And while I do that, you're gonna dry off with these. Got it?"

He hears Edd huff in disgust, but he gives a tentative nod. The temptation of warmth and hot food seems to be enough to make him cooperate at least a little. Gently pushing Edd off of him, Terry shoves the other towel into his hands before leaving the room again.

Back to the kitchen, he procures one of the cans of soup and a pot to cook it in. After setting everything up on the stove, he sits down at the table to wait for it to start boiling. It's a small victory, getting Edd to take the towels, but it's a start. At least he won't be cold anymore. And hey, now that things have calmed down a bit…maybe he can try getting something else out of him?

When the meal is ready, he pours a bowl and takes it to the bathroom, stopping at his bedroom real quick to grab his robe. By the time Terry returns to the bathroom, Edd is looking himself over dejectedly in the mirror and has wrapped one of the towels around his waist and is holding it tightly closed around himself while the other is draped over his shoulders. As Terry walks in, he pulls himself away from the sink, his eyes locked on the bowl. After locking the door behind him, however, Terry hands Edd the robe.

"Put this on," he commands gently, "Then you can eat."

Edd's shoulders slump a bit as he obliges begrudgingly, the towel falling unhindered to the floor. Once he has the oversized robe around his shoulders, he's handed the bowl. Terry doesn't protest as he then scurries over to the corner of the bathroom — putting as much space between them as possible. Rather than follow, Terry takes a seat near the door, leaning against it and making his message clear without a single word; _you ain't gettin' out again._

He watches Edd eat for a while. Every now and then, he has to pause and sneeze, maybe throw in a cough as it suddenly rips from him. And, after blowing his nose with the toilet paper, he returns to his meal. He's just now noticing that his cute little button nose is red; rubbed raw from using the toilet paper _so much_ over the past few days. It's both adorable and sad as fuck at the same time.

In this moment of calm, he decides to try talking.

"Why didn't you scream?" he asks, watching the boy carefully.

Holding the spoon just above the bowl, Edd pauses. His eyes shift around bit before he brings the spoon to his lips, ignoring the question.

"That night you tried to _leave me,_ " Terry elaborates through his teeth, "Why didn't you scream?"

Swallowing, Edd sets the spoon down into the bowl and then the bowl on the floor, glaring down at it.

"Because I wanted to get as far away from _you_ as possible," he spits back, glancing at him for a moment with a hateful look, "I knew that if I made too much noise, you would've found me. Besides…" He sighs, idly stirring the broth as he rests his chin in his hand, "no one was around to hear me anyway. So I intended to get as far away as I could…"

 _No one was around…?_ He must not have noticed the other trailers. Or maybe he didn't think anyone was in them? And the chloroform kept him out long enough that he wouldn't have heard his coworkers coming to investigate. Eyes narrowing, Terry sits up a little straighter. He doesn't want to be too invasive. Sure, Edd's giving him plenty of answers, but he's gotta be careful with what he asks. _Hmm…_ There _is_ one thing that's been bothering him…

"Why'd you take my underwear?"

A dark pink blush spreads across Edd's face.

"Y-You've not given me much of anything to wear since you brought me here…" he mumbles, his shoulders hunched, "You said it was almost Christmas…so I anticipated it would be cold. I needed to put _something_ on to cover my…" He stammers a bit. "T-To protect myself against the cold."

"Why _just_ the underwear, then?" Terry nearly scoffs, "Why not socks or somethin' for your little feet?"

"All of _your_ clothing is far too big for me," Edd retorts with confidence and a bit of a snarl, "I couldn't risk tripping over my own feet because your socks would slip off. And besides, I just needed to wear the bare minimum before going outside."

So letting him blow off a little steam will get his little gums a-flappin', eh? _Alright._ And, of course, his little germaphobic ass couldn't have taken the unwashed boxers from the floor. Had to go rooting through his drawers for a fresh pair. That was probably mistake number one. Well, that or not putting the cuffs on _him…Hmm…_

"Why not try putting the cuffs on _me?_ " he asks.

Glaring at him, Edd explains; "I feared the risk of waking you in the process. The struggle to pull myself out from beneath your oversized carcass was a difficult enough feat to manage without waking you. I wasn't about to risk my luck with anything more." Turning away again, he picks up his spoon. "As long as I could get out, I believed I could find help before you came after me."

"So if you were trying so damn hard to run," Terry asks, his brow cocked in suspicion, "and were so focused on running to try stopping me, then why did you stop to break into the food trailer?"

Edd's shoulders fall; "Because I was beginning to feel too cold to run. Therefore, when I managed to get far enough away that I lost you among the other stands and…a-and rides, I ran to the nearest…doors in my proximity. Anywh—"

He's interrupted by a violent sneeze and drops the spoon into the bowl with a groan. Taking a few breaths, he continues.

"Anywhere that might have had some sort of insulation," he continues, grabbing more toilet paper and blowing his nose, "I entered the first one that would open and I decided that the best course of action would be to wait until the cold in my body faded and start running again when I knew you weren't around." He grits his teeth. "Obviously I didn't get that far…"

Terry's lip curls into a sneer; "Damn right, you didn't."

Edd begins to shrink in on himself, his body shaking a bit. He's bundled up in the robe, so he can't be cold…

"Why are you doing this to me?" he asks, his fingers curling into a fist around the used tissue, "What did I do to you to make you take me from my home? My family? My friends?"

Terry scoffs, leaning back against the wall again. _This again?_ Fine. If it keeps Edd talking, he'll indulge this bullshit.

"Don't give me that, Princess," he retorts, "I _saved_ you from that shitty home and those shitty parents and those shitty friends."

Shoving the bowl aside, Edd bolts to his feet. Even in anger, it seems he's averse to purposefully making a mess (particularly in a place he's likely going to be stuck in for a while).

"Do not _talk_ about them like that!" he snaps, "I had a wonderful home, and loving parents, and the best friends anyone could ever _ask_ for!"

"Bullshit," Terry grumbles, rolling his eyes.

"Stop that!" Edd cries, tears in his eyes that he refuses to acknowledge, "You know _nothing_ about my life! You know _nothing_ about me!"

He's halted from his tirade by a coughing fit that causes his entire body to convulse. During this time, Terry debates for a moment whether or not he should stand. It'd be hella intimidating. Make Edd think he's going to be beaten again for the things he's saying. But, ultimately, he decides against it, instead staring back at Edd with a knowing, yet threatening look.

"I know more than you think, sweetheart," he replies calmly, wracking his brain for every little tidbit Eddy's shared with him over the past year and a half, "I know you're smart. You get straight A's and have won every spelling bee for the past…what was it? Six? Seven years? Eh, let's just say 'since you could start bein' in them'. I know you can play an impossible-lookin' instrument that you fuckin' hate, but you play it anyway and do it perfectly when your shitty friends ask you to and maybe when your parents tell you to."

Edd looks surprised, faltering a bit and fidgeting with the sleeves of the robe. Damn right he's uncomfortable with this. Terry fights back the smirk as he continues.

"But with all your smarts and all your talents…" he lists, "I know you got no confidence in yourself at all. You gotta study night n' day cuz you don't believe you're worth anything without your intelligence. That's what they all make you _think,_ isn't it? That you're worthless unless you're smart. That's why those friends of yours kept you around, ain't it? Cuz they could use you for whatever stupid shit they were getting into."

Edd tries to glare at him, but his words — whether he believes them or not — are beginning to hurt him. He's finally striking the right nerve.

"And I know that your parents only had you cuz they wanted a little slave to do all the shit they outright refused to," Terry nearly snarls, leaning forward a bit, "I know that they didn't give enough of a shit about you to even come home to eat with you. Hell, I bet they never came home for Christmas, either. Or even your birthday. They encouraged you _just enough_ so you wouldn't notice their neglect, but they don't _really_ care. They were just puttin' on an act to make you _think_ they gave half a shit when you would succeed at anything. And, hey, it's easier to brag about a little prodigy than to bitch about your burden, right? So they'd demand perfection at school to keep up appearances."

Okay, _that_ one stung. Edd's starting to back down a little, kneeling back down on the floor. His shaking hand rises to his face, inching around his hairline where his hair naturally parts around his scar.

"What's the matter, Princess?" Terry asks smugly, "Does it hurt _that_ much to hear the truth?"

"Stop it…" Edd whimpers, bringing his other hand up so he can cover both his ears.

"I told you, I know more than you think."

Edd doesn't answer that as he clutches his head, bowing further as he starts to weep softly to himself. Mumbling mostly incoherent words and throwing in timid claims that it's not true. Terry watches him carefully. It's a little hard to see him like this. Dammit, he's supposed to be giving him the comfort those selfish assholes never did. But he's got to learn to accept this. Only then will he be able to distance himself from _them_ and turn to Terry for the love and affection they denied him.

"You really think I'm wrong?" he asks after a moment.

Edd glances up at him through his tears, his brow furrowing in a pitiful attempt to glare. He nods.

"I-I _know_ you are!" he whimpers, wiping his tears away on the sleeve of the robe, "M-Mother and Father loved me dearly! I _know_ they did!"

"Really?" Terry smirks a bit, "Then answer me this, Princess; when's the last time they ever said they loved you?" Edd starts to answer, so Terry adds, "Aside from the bullshit chore lists they'd leave you — those little sticky notes full of shit they're too lazy or too busy to do themselves? I mean when's the last time you heard them _say it?_ "

Edd falters again.

"When's the last time they stayed home with you when you were sick?" Terry presses, "When's the last time they joined you for dinner? When's the last time they _bothered_ to show any interest in your life at all?"

Bowing his head, Edd doesn't answer, thinking carefully. Pleased, Terry sits back with a satisfied smirk.

"Face it, sweetheart," he purrs, "They don't love you. No one does." His twisted smirk grows wider. "'Cept me."

Raising his head again, Edd instantly goes back to glaring at him.

"Now there's no doubt at all that you're lying," he nearly growls.

Terry arches his brow at him, daring him to elaborate. And, of course, he does.

"You don't care about me in the slightest," he spits, "The way you've treated me…You don't _do_ those things to someone you 'love'." He holds his head and hides his face with his hands. "You keep saying that word and forcing me to use it, yet you have no understanding of its meaning."

Terry's incensed but a moment before he shoots the boy a knowing smirk.

"Want me to prove it?"

Edd scoffs, turning away and crossing his arms; "If you're referring to those wretched carnal acts that you so relish forcing upon me, then my answer is an emphatic 'no'. There's no affection in those…" He shudders in disgust. "activities. Just your incessant need to indulge in your own depravity through sexual release. It would prove nothing."

He wants to let himself get mad at that — the fuck does _he_ know?! — but he manages to keep his cool. Instead, he forces a laugh.

"Don't act like you don't fuckin' _love_ every second of it," he snickers, "I know all the best ways to touch you to make you feel _so damn good_."

With a huff, Edd glares over his shoulder.

"The way my body reacts to stimuli is no indication of my own enjoyment," he retorts, "I detest every wretched moment that your filthy hands are upon me."

"Bullshit," Terry laughs, "I make you see heaven."

Hunching his shoulders, Edd turns away again.

"Is that all you've come here to do?" he grumbles, "To poison an already distasteful conversation with your vulgarities?"

"Course not," Terry shrugs back, "I'm here to make sure you eat. This 'thrilling' conversation is just a bonus."

Edd groans a bit, setting the bowl of soup behind him, closer to Terry: "In that case, you can kindly take your leave. Conversing with _you_ has made me lose my appetite."

"Well then, I'll just get nice and comfy," Terry counters, drawing Edd to glance at him again, "Cuz I ain't leavin' till you finish your dinner."

With a huff, Edd snatches the bowl up again and begins slurping down his soup with a grimace and a glare, forsaking any semblance of manners. When he lowers the bowl again, it's empty (save for perhaps a few stubborn drops) and he shoves it along the floor towards Terry. Shrugging, Terry rises to his feet and grabs the bowl and the discarded spoon as well.

"Good boy," he sneers.

Choosing to leave it at that, he carries the tableware out of the bathroom, leaving the towels on the floor. _At least he ate. At least he'll be warm. Maybe he won't get worse…_

After dropping the dishes off in the sink, he decides to step out for a smoke and pulls on his shoes and coat. Oh shit, but first…Grabbing his keys from the table, he steps out into the cold night and heads straight for his van. Hopping in, he starts it up quickly and exits through the open fence to park just on the outside of it. Might make disappearing for the day a little easier?

At least the snow isn't very deep as he returns to his trailer to enjoy his cigarette. He gazes around, feeling a sense of calm begin to creep up on him. As unsettling as the silence of the empty park can feel, it's oddly soothing as well. Or perhaps it's just a nice break from the thick tension inside his trailer? Either way, the cigarette provides him a nice distraction and the silence sets just the right mood to calm him.

Footsteps approach on his left, drawing his attention to where Mike is walking towards him. Taking a quick puff, he begins with as pleasant a greeting as he can muster.

"What brings you out here?" he asks, flicking his ashes away.

Mike holds up his own cigarette and lighter and stands beside him.

"Thought I'd get some fresh air n' have a smoke."

"Any reason you're over _here,_ though?"

With a shrug, Mike pulls a cigarette from it's pack.

"Figured I'd get in some friendly conversation," he suggests.

Something about his tone sounds a little off…Terry takes a long drag off his cigarette, exhaling the smoke slowly.

"Alright…" he shrugs, glancing at him out of the corner of his eyes, "Got any plans for tomorrow?"

"Fuck no," Mike replies, as he struggles to click the lighter for a moment, "No family to go visit or who'll come visit me. Just gonna take the day off."

"Oh yeah?" Terry shoots him a smirk, "That mean you won't need me for anything tomorrow?"

"No, why?" Mike turns to him, " _You_ got plans or somethin'?"

"Not really. But that's the point. I wanna do a whole lot of jack shit tomorrow, not a bunch of bullshit around the park."

Mike shrugs; "I can get behind that. You can consider it my Christmas gift."

Terry rolls his eyes; "Oh, so generous…"

Furrowing his brow, Mike nods towards a spot near Terry's trailer.

"You move your van?"

"Hmm?" Terry follows his gaze, caught off guard for a moment before the question catches up with him, "Oh…yeah, I did. I don't like keepin' it in the park all the time. Left it outside the fence."

"Isn't it more convenient to keep it near the trailer?"

"Yeah, but where the fuck else do _I_ need to be?"

Mike looks to accept that with a shrug, returning his attention to his cigarette. Yeah, it's a lie, but his _boss_ doesn't need to know he'll be out of town for the day. As far as he's concerned, Terry will be spending his day tomorrow either getting drunk or sleeping off a hangover he'll give himself tonight. It's not like he ever bothers him over the holidays anyway.

It'll be fine.

They lapse into a comfortable silence. Well, comfortable for Mike, maybe. Terry, however, soon finds himself fidgeting uncomfortably. Sure, he's feeling confident about his van plan, but there's something else that's coming to mind. Over the past few days, Mike hasn't brought up the events of 'that night'. No more questions, no more comments. Terry's sure he didn't forget. It's not exactly something you just _forget_ happened. But then…why the silence? Brow cocked, he chances a glance in his direction, opening his mouth to speak.

Before he can, Mike interrupts the silence himself; "So, I've been thinking some about what happened the other night…You heard anything new about it?"

Terry feels a sudden chill race down his spine. Playing it off, he smirks a bit.

"Yeah right," he scoffs, "You're the one runnin' shit around here. I stay in my goddamn trailer unless I need to do something. But you ain't said shit about it since that night. How hard you actually been thinkin' about it? Did you end up finding somethin'?"

"No," Mike scratches his chin, looking thoughtful, "Not gonna lie, I ain't heard anything since then. As far as I can tell, he never came back. Nothing's been missing — so I know _you_ ain't stealing shit either — and there's no signs of anyone fucking with the rides."

"So, what?" Terry asks, "It was just a fluke?"

"Probably, but…that's not really what's been buggin' me about it," he pauses to take a long drag, enjoying the flavor for a moment, "There's a lot about that night that's weird as hell."

"Like what?"

"Aside from the way you've been acting lately…?"

"The fuck's _that_ supposed to mean?" Terry snaps back, "I ain't been actin' any different than usual."

"Guess not," Mike mumbles, a grin breaking on his face, "It's totally normal for you to run around in the snow wearing a bathrobe n' no shoes."

"Hey, I told ya, it was extenuating circumstances," Terry retorts defensively, "It was _not_ my first choice, y'know?"

"I sure as shit hope not," Mike snickers.

Terry rolls his eyes, taking an irritable puff off his cigarette as Mike laughs at his expense.

"So you're just exaggerating, then?" he asks with a grimace, "About shit from that night bein' weird?"

"Oh no, there's more," Mike retorts, his laughter slowly subsiding, "That's just the most prominent."

"What else, then?"

"There's more of that weird behavior of yours…" Mike notes, "Why do you care so much?"

Terry shrugs; "You're the one who wanted to make conversation."

"I did say that, didn't I?" Mike huffs a bit, shifting on his feet, "Alright, if you must know, it was mostly little things. Like the footprints I found the next morning."

"What about 'em?"

"Well, I didn't see 'em anywhere around the perimeter of the park," Mike explains, "Hell, it looked like they started somewhere in the middle. With all your running around to catch the kid who made 'em, it was kinda hard to tell where they started or ended, but I didn't even find 'em very far outside the main area of the park."

"Huh…Alright, I'll give ya that…" Terry mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck, "That's pretty weird…"

He pauses, wracking his brain for any excuse that might sound plausible.

"Was there a lot of snow on the ground around the rides?" he asks, squinting a bit as he feigns his search for a lost memory, "I know sometimes it can get real thin on the ground in those places."

Mike furrows his brow, looking lost in thought. After a moment, he grimaces.

"Shit, man, I don't remember…" he shakes his head, "I don't _think_ so. It _might've_ been pretty thin."

"Well, maybe he snuck in around some of the bigger rides? Like the Mondo coaster or the Log Jam?"

Mike hums thoughtfully; "Yeah…I guess those rides mostly gather snow on top, not the ground."

He seems to be buying it. After letting him think about that for a second, Terry suddenly snaps his fingers, as though he'd just thought of something.

"What about the food trailers?"

Mike turns to him with a suspicious look; "What about them?"

"Can't they put out a lot of heat?" he suggests, "And we got that big ass group of 'em near the Log Jam — that'd sure as shit melt the snow around them, wouldn't it?"

Mike starts nodding, a look of realization creeping across his face.

"Yeah," he agrees, "we don't keep those trailers warm, but the fridges put out a shit ton of heat when they're grouped altogether like that."

"So, maybe he got in around there?" Terry shrugs, "I _did_ find him skulking around one of the food trailers, after all."

Mike hums again, seeming to ponder this as he takes absentminded puffs on his cigarette. After a minute, he sighs.

"Eh, that's all well and good," he grumbles, carding his fingers through his greasy hair, "But it doesn't really matter now. I barely remember half of that shit. Besides," he slips his free hand into his pocket, "it's been almost a week; even if I _wanted_ to speculate, it's not like it matters. Those footprints are long gone."

"So…what?" Terry scoffs, "A kid breaks into your park and you ain't even gonna do _dick_ about it? You sure didn't have a problem giving _me_ shit about what happened."

"That's cuz you're an asshole who was acting weird and later admitted to tryin' to steal my shit," Mike retorts, "But even that don't mean much. I mean, fuck, I got a couple of fuckin' convicts on the payroll as is."

"Isn't 'the boss' supposed to crack down on that shit?"

"Listen, fucker," Mike scoffs, "As long as the business doesn't get fucked over and I keep makin' money, I could give a shit. What do I care if some little shit sneaks in? Especially when he got caught and didn't break or steal anything?"

"Guess that's a decent point…" Terry nods, "But then, why bring it up at all?"

"I was just curious," Mike replies with a shrug, "I hadn't heard shit, but you're the one who dealt with it that night. I was just wonderin' if you'd heard anything since."

He doesn't seem to be expecting a response from Terry as he takes one last, long drag from his cigarette.

"Anyway," he grumbles, flicking the cigarette butt away, "All that aside, if I _really_ wanted to take legal action based on all that, I woulda done it already. Hell, I woulda done it the first day. But at this point, any evidence I had is fucked, so why waste the time?"

Rubbing the smoldering cigarette into the snow, he turns away.

"Anyway, Merry Christmas, I guess," he mumbles, "Enjoy your day off."

Terry watches him leave, a feeling of paranoia creeping up his spine. Mike does seem disinterested in the subject, but something about their conversation still has him a little unnerved. Flicking away his own cigarette, he retreats inside.

 _I think I'll leave a little earlier than expected tomorrow…_


	26. Ch 25 - In a Bro Mood

Six a.m. Who the the fuck gets up at six a.m.? In the morning? Before the sun has even made the _attempt_ to rise? Crazy people. Crazy people do that.

And also Terry. But just this once. And it's for a reason, dammit!

Still, it leaves him far from lucid as he stumbles from his bedroom to the kitchen. Before anything else, he sets up his coffee maker. Best to have that going while he's in the shower for added insurance to wake his ass up. It's a feat in and of itself, however. His eyes feel like they're fuckin' glued shut and trying to open them results in a bit of a burning sensation, making the process of finding and pushing the little buttons a lot more difficult than it should be. All he wants to do is sleep for a few more hours. Fuck…maybe after he's on the road, he can pull over somewhere and sleep for a few more hours. It's not like those fuckers are expecting him _this_ early. He just needs to get away from the _park_ hella early. With that set, he returns to his bedroom. He hates to do it, but he has no choice. After retrieving the handcuffs and his keys, he makes his way to the bathroom, grabbing a towel as well.

When he walks in, he finds Edd curled up near the tub, using the towels as a pillow to rest his head upon. The robe covers him completely and seems to be keeping him nice and warm. His breathing is labored some and his mouth is hanging open; clearly a sign that the congestion is preventing him from breathing through his nose. He stirs a bit as Terry closes and locks the door behind him and cringes as the lights are switched on. With a whine that quickly shifts into a groan, he brings his hands up to pitifully rub his eyes. He sniffles painfully, whimpering as he tries to blink his eyes open. Setting the towel on the ledge of the tub with his keys and the cuffs atop it, Terry kneels down over him.

"Mornin' Sleepin' Beauty," he breathes, leaning down to kiss his temple.

Edd responds with a disgusted whine, covering his face with the sleeve of the robe.

"What time is it…?" he grumbles, his voice hoarse and probably sore as fuck.

"Dunno…" Terry shrugs back, "After six?"

Peeking out past the cloth of the robe, Edd gives him as suspicious a look as he can manage as he fights against the bright lights.

"Why on earth would you be awake this early?"

Terry shoots him a smarmy grin; "Just thought I'd come give you your Christmas present a lil early."

With a grimace, Edd covers his face again; "Ugh…no thank you."

"Aww, s'matter, Princess?" Terry coos, "Don'tcha want Santa to stuff yer stocking?"

Edd cringes again, but this time he refuses to look up; "Please go away. I want to sleep."

Chuckling, Terry rises to his feet. As tired as he feels, he'll never be too sleepy to tease his little Princess like that.

"Sorry, sweetheart," he retorts softly, "But I gotta get a shower."

"I thought you said it was six in the morning?"

"I did. And it is. And I need to get a shower."

"Can't it wait?" Edd whines through a yawn.

"No. I got a long day ahead of me and that starts with a fuckin' shower." He leans over a bit. "You wanna join me?"

"Absolutely not."

"Fine."

Grabbing the cuffs, Terry grabs Edd's wrist, startling him from his attempts to go back to sleep.

"H-Hey!" he gasps, as he's yanked to sit upright, "I said _no!_ "

Choosing to ignore that, Terry grabs Edd's other wrist and pulls them both behind the boy's back, locking them in place with the cuffs. After, he carefully maneuvers Edd over to the wall near the toilet. Edd struggles against his bindings, glaring up at the man.

"Why did—"

"I don't care how sleepy you are, Princess," Terry interjects, "I ain't takin' no more chances with you. You know the drill; once I'm through with my shower, I'll let you out of the cuffs."

Edd huffs, but doesn't seem to have the energy to fight him — probably too sleepy or exhausted by his cold. Either way, he backs down, leaning against the wall dejectedly. With a sigh, Terry pats the boy's head of messy, matted hair, making a mental note to comb it out before he leaves.

He's quick enough in the shower. Why the fuck should he waste time with that? The water's cold as fuck just to wake himself up and he has no interest in putting up with _that_ for too long. Just enough to freshen up and give a nice jolt to his senses. Turning off the water, he reaches out to grab his towel. The keys fall with a soft 'thud' to the floor, but he pays it no mind. Even if Edd could reach them, he can't very well use them at the moment.

After toweling off a bit, he opens the curtain to step out of the tub. From the looks of it, Edd's either asleep or on the brink of it. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he retrieves his keys and approaches the boy. Kneeling down beside him, Terry unlocks the cuffs, releasing Edd's arms again. It's enough to bring him from his slumber, but he's fading fast. Terry cups his cheek, stroking the plush flesh with his thumb.

"Hungry?" he asks, "Want me to make you some soup?"

Shaking his head, Edd answers with a soft moan. Just wants to get back to sleep? _Okay._ Placing a quick peck to his cheek, Terry rises to his feet and makes his way back over to the door, cuffs and keys in hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices Edd feebly try to rub his face with the sleeve of the robe, but give up quickly, instead choosing to drag his barely responsive body back over to his little nest, left mostly untouched on the floor. He nuzzles his cheek against the coarse terrycloth of his makeshift pillow. _He really is fuckin' adorable when he's sleepy as fuck…_ But he could be cozier. As Terry walks out of the bathroom, locking up behind him, he decides he'll need to bring him something else to keep warm — make sure he's extra comfortable.

He dries off and dresses in his bedroom before heading to the kitchen to load up Edd's meals into one of the grocery bags. Along with the purchases he made yesterday, he also throws in the jars of peanut butter and jelly and the bag of bread so that Edd can make himself some sandwiches if he wants. Hmm…and something to spread it with? He searches his drawers until he finds a couple packages of plastic forks and knives from some take out place. _Perfect._ He adds the plastic knives to the package as well. Before taking it in to Edd, he goes to retrieve a blanket, pillow, and hair comb.

Back in the bathroom, Edd's out again, his breathing sounding a bit better. Blanket first, he drapes it over the small body, earning a content little grin as Edd quickly soaks in the warmth. But he doesn't wake up. Not until Terry tries to remove his towel pillow, that is. He blinks open his eyes to glare questioningly up at him.

"Figured _this,_ " Terry explains, holding up the actual pillow, "might be more comfortable."

Sitting up a bit, Edd notices the blanket and hunches his shoulders. Furrowing his brow, he glances up at Terry again.

"Since when do _you_ care about my comfort…?"

Terry chuckles. It's cute; seeing Edd act like this. Of course, if Edd weren't sick and he didn't have to fuckin' _be_ somewhere, he'd be more inclined to punish such behavior, but he kind've likes seeing Edd show some spunk.

"I've always cared about your comfort," Terry retorts, "You've just been actin' out, so I've had to punish you."

That certainly doesn't assuage Edd, who glares up at him in disgust. Rather than reply, he shrugs the blanket off and pulls his legs to his chest, scooting away a bit. Terry grimaces, realizing that trying to do something as tedious as combing Edd's hair is probably out of the question. Instead, he grabs Edd's wrist and places the comb in his hand.

"I'll be right back," he grumbles, "In the meantime, you look like you could use that."

Without another word, and ignoring the offended look he receives, he leaves the bathroom to head back to the kitchen to grab the food. It's almost seven. He's gotta get outta here. For the final time that morning, he enters the bathroom, setting the bag of food down by the door. Edd's startled by the sight of it, brought from absentmindedly picking the comb through his hair. Looks like the lights and Terry's constant ins and outs of the bathroom woke him up a bit more. As Terry crosses the room to the toilet, Edd speaks up.

"Why are…ugh…" he grimaces and turns away as Terry unzips his pants to relieve himself, "Why have you brought that bag in here? It's highly unsanitary to keep food in the lavatory."

"I told you," Terry answers tersely, "I got a long day ahead of me and it involves me bein' out for several hours."

"You're leaving?!" Edd guffaws, "F-For how long?!"

"Don't get any bright ideas, Princess," Terry scoffs back as he gives his cock a couple of subtle shakes before zipping himself up again, "There's no way you can get outta this room while I'm gone."

After flushing the toilet, he takes a moment to wash his hands — just so he can possibly get one last bit of contact with Edd before he leaves — before turning back to the boy.

"Anyway," he continues, "I'll probably be home late, so I wanted to make sure you have plenty of food, water, and that you'd be warm enough."

"Where are you going that's so important?" Edd nearly growls.

 _Eh, no harm in telling him that much…_

"Just gotta head home for a few hours."

Edd scoffs; "I pity whatever poor souls are unfortunate enough to be related to _you_ by blood."

 _Heh…if you only knew…_

"Why keep me here if you're just going to leave me alone like this?" Edd asks, "After your little 'assessment' of the way Mother and Father treated me and your baseless claims to be better than them, I'm surprised you would do the same thing."

"Yeah, well…" Terry pauses, unable to think of a proper argument for that.

He's not wrong. Fuck if he doesn't want to stay home with Edd and actually spend Christmas Day with him, but…

"What's the point?" he snarls, "All you're doin' is fightin' me. So I'm givin' us both a break. You can be alone for a while and I can take care of a few annoyances back home."

"Why don't you just let me go _home?_ "

"Why would I do that?" Terry leans over Edd with a smug grin, "You're right where you belong. You just need to accept it."

And that's about all that needs to be said. Edd crosses his arms, glaring hatefully up at the man as Terry approaches him. Placing his hand on Edd's head to hold him still, he leans down to kiss his forehead.

"I might have something for you when I come home," he purrs, standing straight again, "So be a good boy and you'll get a treat."

Again, no response as Edd jerks away from him. Turning away, Terry walks out of the bathroom, locking the door and padlock one last time.

Gathering up the essentials for his trip — a thermos he fills with the freshly brewed coffee, another pillow (cuz a nap on the side of the road really _does_ sound good), Eddy's magazines and jawbreaker — he bundles himself up and finally exits his trailer sometime after seven.

It's dark as fuck as he walks out into the freezing morning. A quick look around rewards him with dark windows and motionless surroundings. Not a single soul is awake save for himself and Edd. _Good._ He practically holds his breath as he carefully follows in his footsteps from last night, matching them close enough that even _if_ Mike gets out today, he shouldn't notice. He has to brace himself as he starts up the van. Like most noises in the wee hours of the morning, it sounds infinitely louder than it probably is. Gritting his teeth and looking around, he pulls away from the park and drives off, back to the scene of the crime.

* * *

It's about an hour into his trip before he feels comfortable enough pulling over. There's not _much_ traffic this morning, but it's enough to slow him down just a bit. Oh well. The less time he has to spend with his family, the better. When he's safely off the road and parked, he slinks to the back of the van. As he stretches out on the mattress, his foot nudges the messenger bag against the door. Oh shit…that's still in here? Eh. It'll be easy enough to hide when he gets back to the cul-de-sac. Hell, he can stuff it in the pillowcase or somethin'. For now…

Dragging the bag over, he brings the canvas material to his nose, breathing in deep. He hisses a curse, however, and shoves it away again. _It doesn't smell like him anymore…_ Granted, why the hell _would_ it? It's been _months._ But aint that what Christmas miracles were for and all that shit? Ugh…Before lying down, he decides to shove the bag under the passenger seat, effectively concealing it from view of anyone who may peek in through the windows.

Settling in, he lays his head down on the pillow and closes his eyes. Feels damn good to do that. So good, in fact, that he momentarily forgets the entire reason why he opened them at all this morning. But maybe that's just his brain…shutting down…to…sleep…

…

 _Terry?_

His face feels hot as he begins to blink his eyes open, only to shut them again as he's nearly blinded by the sun. When did _that_ happen? With a yawn, he struggles to sit up, rubbing his eyes.

"How long was I out…?"

Opening his eyes again, he's startled to see his ideal Edd beside him. _Again with this…?_

"What now?" he grumbles, pulling himself back into the driver's seat.

 _Why are you out here?_

"You know why," Terry snarls back as he revs the engine.

The clock reads 11:20. Shit, he slept longer than he expected. Taking a moment to rub his face and eyes, and take a swig from his bitter coffee, he begins driving again.

 _But why are you out here…without me?_

"You fucking _know_ why," Terry repeats, glaring at him out of the corner of his eyes.

The little phantasm has decided to sit beside him in the passenger's seat.

 _You should be home with_ _ **me…**_

"Why bother?" Terry grips the steering wheel more tightly, "Nothing I've done works. He doesn't respond to fuckin' _anything_ I do."

 _Why not just be nice to me? It's Christmas, after all. You should give me a thoughtful gift, don't you think?_

"Obviously I do if _you're_ suggesting it, but bein' nice ain't got me nothin' but a stab in the fuckin' back."

 _So you're just going to leave me there alone? Like Mother and Father always did?_

Terry doesn't answer right away, glaring at the road ahead of him. Dammit. That's not what he wants at fucking all. There's nothing he wants more than to crawl into bed beside his Princess and hold him. Make him feel warm and loved. But after that night…

"I just need to clear my head," he replies coldly, indicating a clear end to the 'conversation'.

The rest of the trip is had in silence. He turns on the radio for a hot second, but there's fuckin' nothing good playing this morning. Sometime after noon, he pulls into the cul-de-sac. Thank god his folk's place is third from the end of the street. The little urchins are running around the middle of the fuckin' road, having some bullshit snowball fight.

Gritting his teeth, he lays down on the horn, startling all of them. A few of the little brats scurry away. One of the taller boys runs off, screaming his head off about chickens or something. _Fuckin' weirdo…_ A redhead in a baseball cap follows after him on a bicycle, but is far less vocal about it. The kids that remain look more curious than anything as he pulls into his parent's driveway.

" _Bro!_ "

 _And here we go…_ Rolling his eyes, he cuts the engine and steps out of the van, only to be barreled into by the little Pipsqueak himself. Not enough to knock him off his feet, of course, but enough to make him stop in his tracks.

"You really made it!" Eddy nearly sobs into his stomach, nuzzling him like a fuckin' cat.

"Yeah yeah," Terry grumbles, nudging him away, "Outta the way, Pipsqueak. I been on the road all morning."

"Oh…y-yeah! Of course," Eddy laughs that off as Terry walks past him, towards the house.

Naturally, Eddy follows like an eager puppy. The other Ed tags along too, giggling excitedly.

"So, how was the drive, Bro?" Eddy asks nearly hopping along as Terry opens the front door.

"Long."

"Can I getcha anything, Bro?" Eddy clasps his hands together, eager to please, "Somethin' to drink? Ya hungry?"

Before Terry can answer, he hears his mother from the kitchen.

" _Terry?_ " she calls, " _Is that you, sweetheart?_ "

Rolling his eyes, Terry ignores the little anklebiter scuttling around him as he enters the kitchen. She's standing at the stove, cooking something that smells damn good right about now. There are also sandwiches being prepared along the counter, so the delicious smell is probably coming from something in the oven. Knowing his mother, it's probably a Christmas ham. A rarity, for sure — she only cooks _this_ much around Thanksgiving and Christmas and it's always amazing. If there's one thing he knew about his mother, it's that she's a damn fine homemaker and could cook the shit out of a ham and turkey. Shit could knock you out with its flavors alone. _I'll have to bring home plenty of leftovers…_ She's got a surprised smile on her round face as he approaches her and her hands are cupping her full cheeks.

"Hey, mom," he grumbles, trying to sound more enthusiastic than he really is.

"You're really here!" she gasps, throwing her arms around him and squeezing tight.

 _Ugh, well, it's kind've nice, I guess…_ Though he couldn't stand to even hear his father's voice, it was hard to hate his loving mother. Even after everything that's happened, she's still willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and welcome him home the same as she would any family. That deserves _some_ gratitude, at least. After returning the hug, he pulls away to glance at the sandwiches.

"Any chance I could snag one of those?" he asks, brow cocked, "I'm fuckin' starving."

"Language," she tuts back lyrically, "And yes, you can have one as soon as I've finished making lunch for all of us. Until then, why don't you go say hi to your father?"

"I'll pass," Terry scoffs back, retrieving his cigarettes, "I need a smoke."

"Not in here," his mother dictates, "You can take that outside."

Terry rolls his eyes at that; "Whatever…I'll go to the backyard."

"Oh! You can go through my room, Bro!" Eddy suggests excitedly, grabbing Terry's wrist.

"Y-Yes!" For the first time since he arrives, he sees his mother hesitating a little, "Go with your brother! He's been looking forward to this ever since we got your call."

 _Dammit…_ He groans a bit, but allows himself to be ushered past the kitchen and through Eddy's grossly lavish bedroom. It's messier than before and has a sleeping bag on the floor. That other kid must've slept over last night? That's weird. Maybe he's staying tonight instead? Eh, who cares? Before he can analyze it much further, he's led through the sliding door and back out into the cold. Goddammit. The very notion that he would have to interact with his old man is already fraying at his nerves. So much so that he can't even go five minutes without a quick smoke.

This is gonna be a helluva long day.

And the little brat is still hanging around him.

"So, Bro!" Eddy begins, "I didn't get to introduce you, yet." He pulls the other kid, still beaming like an idiot, over. "This is Ed!"

"Yeah, no shit," Terry retorts, taking a long drag from his cigarette, "I gathered as much from all those stupid pictures."

"Oh…y-yeah…" Eddy laughs anxiously, "I just…Wanted to make sure you knew that…that _this_ one's Ed. And…and the other's…uh…" He glances at Ed, who doesn't seem to be listening to the conversation as he stares back at Terry in a mix of joy and enthusiasm. "Anyway, I just didn't get to introduce you for real, so…yeah…"

Terry hums in response, glaring out past the gate of the backyard in disinterest. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Eddy fidgeting uncomfortably.

"So, uh…" he mumbles a bit, "How've you been? We missed you at Thanksgiving."

"I was busy."

It looks like Ed wants to say something too, but after looking to Eddy, who gives him a stern look, he remains silent.

"Uh…How long are you stayin'?" Eddy asks, "D'ya think you could stay the night?"

"We can stay up until dawn and watch monster movies!" Ed adds excitedly, "Like 'Night of the Living Dolls!'

"No such luck, Pipsqueak," Terry answers, exhaling a puff of smoke through his nostrils, "I'm heading out later tonight."

"Aww, seriously?!" Eddy pouts, "Why can't you stay?"

"Cuz I ain't dealin' with your old man longer than I fuckin' have to."

He notices Eddy's shoulders slumping in disappointment.

"Well…did you…get me anything at least?"

"Yeah yeah, later," Terry grumbles back, rubbing his temple.

"What about _me_ Eddy's brother?!" Ed gasps.

"No."

Now it's Ed's turn to pout, but that doesn't last before he starts smiling stupidly again as Eddy's attention is drawn past the house, towards their neighbor to his left. There's some voices echoing out within the rest of the cul-de-sac that puts an irritable look on his face. Finally, he looks back up at Terry with a wicked grin.

"Hey, Bro…uh, you got any advice on how to win in a snowball fight?"

Hmm…Maybe that'll get rid of him for a while?

"Sure I do," Terry answers, perching the cigarette delicately between his lips and teeth.

Reaching up towards the rain gutter, he breaks off a piece of one of the larger icicles hanging from it. He crushes it into slightly smaller pieces before leaning down towards a big patch of snow to pack it tightly into a ball.

"Here ya go, runt," he states, handing Eddy the ice-ball, "That'll end the game real quick."

"Super sweet!" Eddy cries excitedly as he inspects the ball, "Thanks, Bro!" He turns to Ed. "Alright, Burrhead. We got a game plan! Let's go make as much of these as we can!"

Ed giggles excitedly as they then run off. He just barely catches Eddy suggesting something about Ed's backyard and a pond there, but there's about as much as he can gather before they're out of earshot. Alone again. ' _Bout damn time…_ With one last puff and a long sigh, Terry flicks the cigarette butt away and retreats into the house.

* * *

The visit from then on is thoroughly uneventful. About half an hour after showing Eddy how to make the ice-ball, he came back in with a black eye and a big grin. His mother fussed, raging about him getting into _another_ fight, but it never wiped the smile off his face. When her temper had cooled enough for Eddy to get in a quick word with Terry, he explained that his trick worked like a charm and that Kevin's gonna be nursing a mean-looking cut on his forehead as penance for his latest scathing comment. Sounds like this little fucker had it coming? Eh, what does he care, though? It got Eddy off his back for a short time. Granted, now the brat's been forbidden from going outside again, so he's stuck dealing with him for the rest of the visit, but he was half expecting that much anyway.

For most of the time, the family all sits down to watch lame Christmas specials on television while mom takes over the kitchen. Terry has hardly glanced at his father, let alone spoken much of a word to him past a spiteful, grumbling 'hello'. During the movies, Eddy talks his ear off about school and how much of an asshat this Kevin kid has been and 'do you have any scam ideas, Bro?' or a whispered 'where'd you stash your report card-changin' kit?' It grates on his every last nerve, but at least he's not talking about Edd. At least he's not complaining about missing him like he did over the phone. _There's that Christmas miracle I was lookin' for…_

Around the three hour mark and about half a pack of cigarettes later, he tries to excuse himself to hide out in his old bedroom, but is reminded rather coldly that that might be out of the question.

"Room's boarded up," Tony boasts his arms crossed over his barrel chest, "And I ain't plasterin' up the walls again just so you can hole up in there instead of spendin' time with yer family."

That's right, when he'd come home back in September, his bedroom door had been covered by the wallpaper. But it didn't look like anyone had tried to get in any time recently? Maybe Eddy's broken into his room since then? He glares back at his dad as he returns to his seat on the couch. _Motherfucker…_

It's frustrating, to be sure; to have them be so damn insistent on him visiting, but making sure the entire time that he knows he's not welcome…His eyes shift to the clock above the tv. He's still got roughly five to six hours left. At least some of that will be spent on dinner. Maybe he can leave after that?

When his mother calls them all in to the kitchen around six, he feels a small weight being lifted. Sure, the dinner itself is going to be obnoxious as all hell, but it also means he's closer to getting out of here and getting home to bury his frustrations in his little darling. As his mother sets the table, he takes a seat near the window and Ed and Eddy follow suit, sitting on either side of him. He furrows his brow as he glances at Ed before turning to Eddy with a suspicious look.

"Why the fuck's _he_ still here?" he asks, brow cocked.

He hears his dad clear his throat indignantly, but pays him no mind. Eddy scoffs.

"Ed's parents are just as bad as…" he pouts, his eyes flickering over to Ed before he shrugs, drumming his fingers on the tabletop, "They don't care if he comes home or not."

 _Eh, whatever…_ He returns his attention to the table, only to give his mother a strange look as well as she sets a couple plates too many across from him.

"You expectin' company?" he guesses with a grimace.

"We're _'expectin'_ a couple of assholes," Eddy interjects.

"Language!" Tony roars, slamming his hand down on the table.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Eddy shrinks in on himself a little, but doesn't stop seething. Janine sighs adjusting the tableware just a bit.

"Yes, we are expecting a couple more guests," she explains calmly and with a somber expression, "They've had a very horrible few months and I think we owe it to them to give them a nice, warm meal and good company. To take their minds off of their grief."

"Grief…?" Terry echoes, a pit forming in his stomach as a connection slowly clicks into place.

Before anything more can be said, the doorbell rings.

"I'll get it!" Janine announces excitedly as she scurries from the kitchen.

Terry feels a lump forming in his throat. Fuck fuck fuck! He wasn't anticipating this. The door opens. A woman enters first, followed by her husband. That's them…he knows it. Dressed properly as he would've expected of them. Dark hair combed perfectly. As he sees their expressions, the anxiety that was seeping into him shifts to rage in the span of a second. He wants to let it show and for a moment, his fingers clench into a shaking fist around the fork beside his plate. He wants to yell. To go right up and scream at them and beat their stupid fucking faces in. Gritting his teeth, he forces his fingers to unfurl and schools his gaze. No. Goddammit. No! Gotta stay calm. Gotta keep his cool. But as they walk further into the house, he feels his blood continue to boil. His mother takes their coats and hangs them in the closet by the door before guiding them to the kitchen.

"My oldest will also be joining us," Janine explains to the two newcomers before gesturing to said son, "Terry, honey, come meet the Vincents."


	27. Ch 26 - Ace in the Bro

Rather than stand, Terry instead sits back in his chair. He doesn't trust himself to say a damn word. There's so many things buzzing around in his brain that want to come out — 'Fuck you' is at the very tip of his tongue, as a matter of fact — but fuck if he's going to let himself say _that_. The night has only just begun and he's got the whole dinner to put up with their smarmy asses.

His mother, thank god, doesn't seem to take much offense to it.

"Don't mind him," she tuts patting the woman on her shoulder, "He's been cranky all day."

"Indeed…"

Terry fights back the grimace as he hears the bitch's voice for the first time. That's where Edd gets it, alright. That prim, proper tone and almost mumbling delivery. Fucking cunt…

"Now, Terry," his mother interrupts his thoughts to gesture to the two, "This is Valerie and her husband, Samuel."

Terry gives a half-hearted grumble in response, to at least let her know he fuckin' heard her.

"Yes, well…" Janine sighs, "Take a seat, you two! I was just about to bring out the ham!"

As Janine bustles over to the oven, Samuel pulls out a chair for Valerie to sit before taking a seat beside her. They both sit abnormally straight — _probably because of those poles wedged right up their asses_ — and it's now that Terry can get a better look at either of them. They're both pale as fuck and wearing immaculately clean glasses — probably spend all their time in offices away from the light of fucking day and in front of various screens. Both of them have black hair that is combed to perfection. Seriously, what kind've fucking hair products do these two use? Not a single strand is out of place! Clearly whatever they use had been well-hidden from Edd. Speaking of whom, it was clear as Terry looked them over that his little Princess got his eyes from his mother, though he noticed that there was a distinct difference in hue. While Edd's are a pretty emerald, his mother's are more of a cold, dull lime green. Samuel's eyes, meanwhile, are a frigid blue.

But that all is far from what has his interest. No, what's gotten under his skin much more effectively is the expression shared on either of their faces. They look…fine? For so-called 'grieving parents', they don't look _that_ upset. Valerie's eyes are perhaps a little glassy and red, but he's willing to write that off as her coming in from the cold night or something. And Samuel doesn't look any more perturbed. As the ham is set on the table, Terry regrets to find that his appetite has all but gone with the arrival of these shitbags. He always suspected — always assumed that Edd's parents could give a shit about what happened to their child, but it's clear to him as he sits there, watching their precise movements and mannerisms, that these two care even less than he thought. Eddy was right; they're not at all bothered by Edd's disappearance.

It makes him sick.

But he doesn't speak up, no matter how much he wants to. Fuck, it's killing him not to. It's killing him not to tell them how horrible they fucking are. What negligent, pieces of shit they are. But more than any of that, it's killing him to know that even the most wretched, horrible things he can think of to say wouldn't hurt them the way he wants. Not even the most painful comments about their child would bother them.

As Janine sits down to join them, she clasps her hands together.

"Alright, who wants to say grace?" she asks, smiling excitedly, before giving a nudging look towards her eldest, "Terry?"

"Pass," Terry snarls back, taking a break from glaring at the Vincents to glance in her direction.

"You mind your mother," Tony warns from the other end of the table.

"I said no," Terry retorts, "Why don't you have the guests you _wanted_ thank your phony-baloney god."

"Terry, don't be rude!" Janine scolds to him in a hiss before turning to the Vincents again, "I'm so sorry. Please excuse my son's behavior."

"It is quite alright," Valerie waves it off, "It is not surprising given his…appearance."

"The fuck's _that_ supposed to mean?" Terry snarls back, his fingers clenching into fits.

"Well, pardon us for saying so," Samuel replies, "But your uncouth appearance is clearly an accurate reflection of your personality, so it's to be expected that your _manners_ leave a lot to be desired."

 _Mother fucke—_

"Hey!" Eddy snaps beside him, bolting to his feet and slapping his hands on the table, "Don't you talk about my brother like that you heartless son of a—"

"Eddy!" Janine gasps, lunging forward to clamp her hand over Eddy's mouth, "I'm terribly sorry!"

"Pass the gravy, please!" Ed cries fork and spoon already in hand.

" _Enough!_ " Tony roars, slamming his fist on the table.

While Eddy merely jostled a few dishes in his direct vicinity, Tony's outburst nearly shook the whole room, drawing everyone's attention.

"Honey, sit down," he orders his wife before pointing to Eddy, " _You_ watch your language, and _you,_ " he points to Terry, "shut yer mouth and just be grateful we let you come back at all."

"Let me?" Terry echoes, "Bullshit! You n' mom have been fuckin' _begging_ me to come home for _months_ now. You don't get to treat this like some kinda fuckin' favor you're doin' for _me._ I don't wanna be here either, dammit! _You two_ are the ones who should be fuckin' grateful I bothered to come home at all!"

"Yeah!" Eddy agrees, shoving his mother's hand away to glare at his father.

He can see Tony seething and almost _feel_ the heat of anger radiating off of him from here. Even Ed is quivering a bit and scooting a little closer to Terry to escape Tony's rage. Dad's about to blow up. _Good. Maybe I can get out of here early?_ But, after a quick glance towards Janine, who's giving him a pleading look, Tony backs down.

"Everybody bow yer heads," he commands through his teeth, "I'll do it."

After a moment's hesitation, everyone at the table follows the order. Janine releases Eddy and clasps her hands together in front of her before bowing her head and closing her eyes along with the others. Except Terry, of course. Fuck that shit. He doesn't start eating, but he doesn't bother bowing his head either as Tony begins the prayer. He tunes it out beginning to end and instead glares at the parents opposite him. The disgusting, abhorrent, pieces of shit who are so lost in the prayer being recited that they don't notice his hateful look. He wants to whisper something horrible to them. Describe to them how soft Edd's skin is or what he sounds like in bed or what he tastes like. Anything that would normally make a loving parent recoil in horror. But he doesn't. After all, he's not so stupid that he'd put himself at risk like _that._

Besides, he's got Eddy beside him to say things to make them feel like shit.

"And since no one else is gonna say it and his parents don't care," Eddy interjects near the end of the prayer, "Please bring Double D home safe—Amen!"

"Eddy!" Tony snaps, opening his eyes to glare at him.

Despite this, everyone else at the table murmurs an uncomfortable 'Amen' before picking up their utensils to pile the food onto their plates. Au gratin potatoes from a large, steaming dish near the plate of ham, a pot of green beans, corn on the cob, deviled eggs, and a big basket of fluffy, homemade biscuits. Tony hesitates a moment, still glaring irritably at Eddy, before standing to carve the ham. As the knife cuts through the tender meat like butter, Terry finds his appetite returning. The warm scent of the marinade tickles his nostrils and drives his stomach to growl in anticipation. Therefore, he begrudgingly loads up his plate with a little bit of everything. At least while he's stuffing his face, he can't run the risk of saying something he fucking well shouldn't.

As he takes his first bite, though, his thoughts drift back to his little Princess and he wonders what he's up to. There's not a whole lot he _could_ be doing right now. Either eating the cheap food or sleeping. Maybe showering? He grits his teeth to banish _that_ thought before it can arouse him too much. Back to thinking about Edd being sad and alone. Dammit…It makes the arousal go away, but it stings to think about. He glances at the clock, cursing under his breath as he finds it's only 6:30. He wants to go home, dammit. To go back and present Edd with a _real_ feast. No. First he's gonna bang one out — expend the frustration that's welling up inside and be intimate with his little darling again. _Then_ they can eat and spend the rest of Christmas night together. That pleasant thought is enough to distract his angry mind so that he can keep eating.

At least until that fucking cunt decides to open her fucking mouth again.

"The food is excellent, Janine," Valerie begins, covering her mouth with her hand as she swallows the bite in her mouth, "Thank you again for inviting us."

"It's my pleasure!" Janine replies enthusiastically, "And it's the least we can do after…" She hesitates before adding quickly. "Well, we just thought it'd be nice to give you both a little break with a warm meal and good company."

Eddy scoffs, drawing Janine to sigh.

"Eddy, honey," she nearly moans, "For one night, just let it go."

"No!" Eddy snaps back, "You're actin' like they've done _so much_ to find Double D, but they ain't done sh—" He almost curses again, but catches the look Tony's giving him before simmering down a bit.

"Eddy," their mother whines again.

This time, however, Valerie interjects.

"It is fine, Janine," she insists, dabbing at the corners of her mouth with her napkin, "He is just a petulant child who cannot comprehend the process involved in such a sensitive case."

"Maybe not," Eddy grumbles back, "But I _can_ 'comprehend' grief when I see it and you two clearly don't care at all!"

 _Finally, some entertainment._ Valerie huffs, picking up her glass of water and taking a sip to ignore that question. Terry shoots her a grimace.

"Pipsqueak's got a point," he notes, drawing her attention again, "You don't _look_ like a mom whose kid's been missing for…how long again?"

"Since September…" Eddy answers with a pout.

"Right, that's, what, four fucking months?" He jabs his thumb towards Eddy, "Fuck, if this one went missing for that long, my mom would be losing her damn mind. But you?" He scoffs, looking her up and down disapprovingly. "You look like this is just fuckin' business as usual."

Now it's Samuel's turn to put the fork down and wipe his mouth of the residue.

"The way my wife and I handle our grief and worry is no concern of yours," he retorts, "We've chosen to rely on the police to do their jobs and have worked very hard to maintain our composure. Allowing ourselves to get worked up in a frenzy will do no one any good."

"Very well said, Samuel!" Janine interjects, giving her sons a look that reads 'drop this. Now.'

And drop it, they do, though very reluctantly. Bullshit. They _say_ it's because they don't want to waste their time worrying, but he knows that's not true. He can't believe that these two are broken up about losing Edd in any way. They can't be. They don't miss him. They don't _love_ him. It almost hurts to be presented with this proof. Edd's been so hopeful to return to them. So hopeful that they miss him and want him to come home. But they look like they could care less about that. It'd just be a job well done and then they'd go back to life as usual.

It's…sad.

Reluctantly, he returns his attention to his plate to shovel down the last of the food there. Fuck bothering with seconds or more. These motherfuckers have effectively eradicated his appetite for the second time that night and it's _not_ coming back. When he sets his fork down and sits back to digest, he almost wishes for a few beers to wash it down with. Sure, he could go grab one and fuck off to the living room but the alcohol might be against his best interests when it comes to keeping his mouth shut. So, he sits there, avoiding the flecks of food that splatter from Ed's excited, messy eating while also listening to Eddy throw out occasional insults towards the Vincents that he tries his damndest to disguise as small talk with his brother. His mother urges him to have more but he grumbles back that he's had enough.

As dinner slowly draws to a close at about half past seven, the Vincents rise to wash their dishes and Terry pushes himself up from his seat.

"Well, this has been a shit show," he begins, "and if it's all the same to you, I'm gettin' the fuck out of here."

"No!" Eddy protests, latching on to Terry's wrist, "Don't leave yet!"

"Yes, stay!" Janine agrees, "We still have presents to open! I have a few things for the Vincents and some things for _you_ too."

"Seriously?" Terry grumbles, tugging his wrist away as he walks around the table, "Can't I get it to go or something?"

But Janine just waves him off and begins nudging him towards the living room.

"Nonsense!" she tuts, "You just go make yourself comfortable while I take care of things in here."

Rolling his eyes, Terry begrudgingly allows Ed and Eddy to usher him along to the living room. Twelve hours away from home is driving him nuts. Not even the beer Pipsqueak shoves into his hand is enough to ease his fraying mind. He hardly touches it, even as the old man lumbers into the living room. Frankly, the only thing that draws his attention is the giggling from the kitchen. There, he finds the Vincents speaking jovially with his own mother, smiling more than they have in the entire duration of their visit. _Fucking disgusting…_

After a few minutes, Janine and the Vincents enter the living room, with the former carrying her beloved Polaroid camera. She bustles excitedly across the room to the over-decorated tree, which jingles and rustles as she gathers up a number of neatly-wrapped presents.

"Okay, we'll have the Vincents and Terry open up their gifts," Janine explains, "And Eddy, you know you can open up all your presents from your father and I, right"

Eddy scoffs again; "What's the point? All I ever get is clothes…"

"Is that why you waited _this_ long to open your presents at all?" Terry asks, glancing at the mountain of presents still on the floor.

"Well, yeah!" Eddy retorts, "Why bother opening presents when I know I ain't gettin' nothin' good?"

"You better be grateful yer gettin' anything at _all_ this year with the way you been acting," Tony states.

"Whatever…" Eddy grumbles before perking up as he turns back to Terry, "So, Bro! Didja get me anything?!"

"Yeah yeah…" Terry shrugs, reaching into his pocket to retrieve the jawbreaker, "Here ya go, squirt."

Though most kids would probably be insulted that the only thing they were receiving was a piece of candy, Eddy's ecstatic.

"This is the _best!_ " he cries, bouncing up and down excitedly as he cradles the jawbreaker to his chest, "Thank you so much, Bro!"

Before Terry can stop him, Eddy throws his arms around his brother's shoulders to hug him tight. With a groan, Terry rolls his eyes, but doesn't push him away. What's the point? He'll just get shit for being 'mean to his little brother' or some bullshit like that. The sudden flash of light makes him grimace at his mother as the freshly-taken photo is printed out.

"I just _love_ seeing my boys get along!" she coos, shaking the Polaroid briefly before setting it aside.

Terry grumbles, carefully nudging Eddy away and feeling safe to do so now that his mother got that shit on camera.

"Too cheap to get 'im anything else?" Tony notes irritably.

Terry glances at him with a hateful look and opens his mouth to retort when Eddy speaks for him.

"Shut up, dad!" he snaps, "At least he came _home!_ That's good enough for me!"

"I want a picture with Eddy's brother too!" Ed cries, hopping into Terry's lap and hugging him the same way Eddy had.

Terry groans, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he's accosted with another flash. With that out of the way, he shoves the weight off of him. After that bout of saccharine bullshit, he's handed a small stack of gifts by his mother. They all have to take turns opening shit. Eddy called it: all of his presents are clothes. For that matter, all of the presents in _general_ are clothes. Several of them are handmade, but Eddy's been loaded up with store-bought clothes for school and more of those ugly-ass bowling shirts his dad was so damn attached to for whatever reason. The Vincents receive armfuls of kitschy sweaters and scarves that were clearly hand-knitted. They look less than enthused, but accept the gifts with grateful smiles, which Janine proudly records with several more Polaroids. More to add to the many _many_ photo albums on their shelves, it would seem. As expected, he receives several handmade clothes as well. Mostly sweaters, of course. He just assumes his mother can't make anything else. Well, except for blankets. He's a bit more surprised by that gift.

"It must get so drafty in that trailer of yours," Janine insists as she lowers the camera and shakes the Polaroid that had just printed out, "That should help keep you nice and toasty."

"Yeah…thanks mom," Terry mumbles back, feeling the material between his fingers.

It's soft as fuck and, yeah, should be hella warm. Definitely the best gift of the bunch. He can't wait to get home and curl up under it with Edd. The fabric will probably feel damn good on their naked skin. Shaking his head of those thoughts, he returns his attention to the presents. He notices that his dad didn't seem to get him anything — or at least, he didn't sign a damn tag. They all read 'Love Mom & Dad', but they were clearly written by his mother who wanted to give the impression Tony actually gave a shit. Oh fucking well.

Time ticks away faster and faster and, before he knows it, the clock strikes nine. Fuckin' hell. He's gotta get outta here. With a grumble, he rises to his feet, making the current discussion about some inconsequential bullshit cease.

"Alright, I'm outta here," he states, picking up the gift boxes.

"C'mon, Bro!" Eddy whines, tugging on the end of his shirt, "Can't you stay a little longer?"

"Fuck that," Terry retorts, jerking the cloth free, "I got a bitch of a drive ahead of me and I've already wasted enough time here as it is."

"Well, then…" Eddy stutters, "Wouldn't it be better to stay the night and head out in the morning?!"

"No."

Janine rises to her feet; "Alright, well, let me get you some leftovers at least."

"Yeah," Terry agrees, stroking his goatee, "That'd be great. Think you can make it last a few days? Might not be able to get out and get a decent meal till after the new year."

"Of course!"

Beaming, Janine trots to the kitchen, setting the Polaroids on the counter. Eddy sighs, but jumps to his feet after a moment.

"Okay, well…I'll get you your coat!" he offers, running off to the foyer.

Ed follows him, giggling. Terry stops in the kitchen, leaning against the counter as he waits for his mother to finish packing up the food. He can hear Tony and the Vincents resuming their conversation, clearly disinterested in Terry's departure. As he stands there, his eyes wander over the Polaroids, taking in their details. Smiling faces of his family and the Vincents alike. Not a care in the world. Not a thought given to the tragedy that's persisted for the past four months. Brow cocked, he glances into the living room. Everyone there is distracted. To his mother; she's got her back to him. Ed and Eddy are still squabbling in the foyer. He sifts casually through the Polaroids until he finds a couple of interest. One of himself, looking miserable as fuck while Ed and Eddy clamber all over him with big smiles on their faces and another with the Vincents in conversation with Tony, smiling as he regales them with some bullshit. Smirking, he slyly stows them away in his pocket just as his mother finishes up.

"Here we are!" she announces excitedly as she hands him the several tubs of Tupperware.

"Jesus, mom, I can only carry so much…" Terry scoffs, holding up the gift boxes as well, "Y'got a bag or somethin' I can put all this in."

"Oh yes! How silly of me!" Janine giggles, setting the Tupperware on the counter, "You go on and get your coat while I take care of this."

Shrugging, Terry sets the gifts down on the counter beside the Tupperware before retreating to the foyer. Eddy races up to him with the coat in hand and holds it up to him.

"Here's your coat, Bro!" he offers, gazing up at him with puppy dog eyes.

"Thanks, I guess," Terry grumbles, grabbing it from him and throwing it on.

He feels something in the pocket and is reminded that the brown bag is still there. Glancing behind him, he slyly produces it and hands it to Eddy.

"Oh yeah…" he mumbles, keeping his voice low, "Here ya go, Pipsqueak. A _real_ Christmas present for ya."

Eddy snatches the bag from him and reaches in to reveal the magazines. He nearly lets out an excited squeal before Terry shoves the porn back into it's packaging.

"Keep it to yourself, runt," he warns, "You know if the folks see this, they'll flip their shit."

"Thanks so much, Bro!" Eddy cries in a hushed tone, throwing his arms around Terry's middle again.

Before their mother can approach them, he stuffs the package under his shirt, hugging it to his chest a little.

" _All packed!_ " Janine calls, holding a large bag full of the presents and leftovers.

He takes the bag, but of course he can't even get out the door without a face-full of kisses from his mother who implores him to come home again soon.

"And don't worry about your father," she waves, "He misses you too. He's just bad at showing it."

"I'm sure he is…" Terry scoffs back as he rolls his eyes, "Listen, I really gotta go. Hard to tell what the roads are gonna be like, y'know?"

"Yes yes!" Janine takes her hands off of him, fussing a bit as she opens up the door, "Get home safe, sweetheart. We love you."

"Yeah, love you too, mom…" Terry grumbles as he slips out into the cold night.

He sets the bag into the passenger's seat to ensure it stays in place before starting the van up; best to get the heat going before he heads out. He steps back out to share just a couple more words with his mother, and Ed and Eddy manage to sneak in one last hug before they're pulled back by her again so that Terry can climb into the van. After a quick wave, he puts it into gear, and pulls out of the driveway. As he drives to the end of the street, he spots Eddy in his rear-view mirror, following the van into the street and waving before coming to a slow stop, looking disappointed. Rolling his eyes, he lowers the window and sticks his arm out to offer him one last wave before turning down the street to head home.

Finally. Alone again. He gleefully drinks in the silence, grateful for it after a day with his obnoxious family.

 _Are you okay?_

He glances to his right, where his little imaginary Edd is kneeling beside him.

 _You put up with a lot tonight…Are you okay?_

He chuckles; "Never better. This was exactly what I needed."

 _Oh…? What do you mean?_

Yes, despite his frustrations, despite how torturous that experience was, there is _one_ thing he can take solace in. With a grin, he retrieves the photos from his pocket. Incriminating doesn't even begin to describe them.

"These babies here are exactly what I needed," he explains, admiring them again.

 _Exactly what are you planning to do with those?_

Eyes flickering between the road and Ed and Eddy's smiling faces, he can't stop the wicked laugh as it bubbles up inside him.

"I think it's about time I tell the little Princess who I am."


	28. Ch 27 - Bare Your Edd

Traffic is light tonight, so Terry finds himself pulling up to the park around 11:30. Fucking _finally!_ Fuck, he just wants to pick up Edd from the bathroom and curl up with him in his own bed again. The notion of getting a quick one in before going to sleep is becoming a far off fantasy. No, just snuggling up with his little darling as Christmas comes to a sleepy close sounds so much fucking better.

However, despite how eager he is to get inside, he parks as slowly and as quietly as possible outside the fence and shuts the van off. Practically holding his breath, he grabs the bag of gifts and food and sneaks into the park. Everything's just as quiet and still as it was when he left it this morning, and as he returns to his trailer in his faded footprints, he's relieved to note that the snow is otherwise undisturbed around his door. No surprise visits from Mike today. Not that he's surprised, but he's still grateful.

Silent as can be, he slips inside and stalks through the dark trailer. Though it'd be easier to turn on a damn light, he doesn't want to risk it right now. Besides, his eyes have been adjusted to the darkness for a while now. The lights would only blind him. Case in point, as he enters his bedroom with the bag of gifts and flips on the overhead light, he has to shut his eyes tight for a moment. When he regains his sight, he places the bag on the bed to unload it. First, he puts the clothes on top of the dresser and the blanket near the head of the bed. Once that's done, he brings the food to the kitchen to store the leftovers in the fridge.

 _At last; the moment I've been waiting for._ Withdrawing his keys, he unlocks the bathroom door and slips inside. The lights are off, and after he flips the switch, he finds out why. Edd's snuggled up on the floor, having been sleeping. Now, of course, he's roused by the harsh overhead light and is rubbing at his eyes with adorable little whimpers. As Edd wakes, Terry looks around the bathroom, surprised. Edd had clearly succumbed to boredom in the fifteen or more hours he'd been stuck here alone and had decided to spend that time organizing _everything_ in his tiny space. The food is arranged based on the size of the packaging in a neat, descending order beneath the sink, with the paper bag folded meticulously in front of them. The medicine cabinet has been categorized alphabetically on the three shelves and the mirror wiped towels in the closet have been folded meticulously, providing even more room that Terry didn't realize was there. And with what little tools Edd had at his disposal, he managed to carefully scrub the bathtub and sink so that they shine. Frankly the only mess in the room is around the waste basket, which is overflowing with used tissues and toilet paper. As Edd slowly rouses himself, he releases his loose grip on a yet-to-be-used tissue.

"You've been _busy,_ haven't you, sweetheart?" he asks, stepping away from the door.

He hears Edd gasp softly and jolt up a bit, his eyes wide. After a moment, however, he calms some and sits up more slowly, rubbing his eyes as the sleep catches up with him.

"Oh…" he grumbles, "It's _you…_ "

He begins coughing, covering his mouth with the tissue. When he calms again, he lowers the tissue, groaning as he moves to rub the bridge of his nose to relieve his sinuses.

"You don't sound too happy to see me?"

"Should I be?" Edd scoffs hoarsely, glaring up at him, "Because I was anticipating that you just wouldn't return at all."

"If I never came back, then you'd be stuck here forever," Terry informs him smugly, "Alone. No one would have found you."

Edd averts his gaze, pouting; "Then at least I would have perished with the comforting knowledge that I never would've seen your wretched face again."

Terry grits his teeth, his fingers clenching into a fist for a brief moment. Taking a deep breath, though, he's able to cool himself down and smirk again.

"Such a mean thing to say," he notes, taking another step into the room, "C'mon, now, sweetheart. We still got a few minutes left of Christmas. Don'tcha think we should try to enjoy it?"

Edd groans; "Your idea of 'enjoyment' differs _greatly_ from my own."

"Well, would you 'enjoy' sleeping in a warm bed?"

That makes Edd falter in his response. He worries his lower lip between his teeth, fidgeting with the blanket. _Got him on the hook…_

"I'm feelin' generous," Terry continues, "So how about I bring you back to the bedroom and you can sleep in my bed. With me."

Edd doesn't answer right away. His fidgeting worsens and he begins whining softly as he bows his head. _C'mon, darlin'…It's an easy decision…_

"I got lots of leftovers too," he presses, "Perfectly cooked ham, au gratin potatoes, green beans, biscuits —the works."

That earns him an impatient growl from Edd's stomach that he tries his damnedest to stifle. Curling up and holding his gurgling middle. _Got him…_ Terry carefully kneels down beside him. He doesn't get too close — doesn't touch him. He gets just close enough to speak more softly to him.

"And of course, I'm more than happy to share with you," he licks his lips, "In exchange for a little affection."

Shivering, Edd brings his hands up to cover his ears, digging his fingers into his scalp. Cocking his brow, Terry tests the waters by placing his hands over Edd's arms. Still, he doesn't touch him, just hovers his hands over the fabric of the robe clothing him. Edd hunches his shoulders a little, anticipating the physical contact.

"Would that _really_ be so bad?" Terry coos, finally resting his hands on Edd's arms, "C'mon, Princess. Delicious food, a warm bed." He gently pulls Edd's hands away from his ears. "All while you're nestled in the arms of the only person who loves you."

Edd shakes his head, squirming away from him.

"No!" he whimpers, "No!"

Rolling his eyes, Terry lets him scoot away, quivering.

"Y'know, Princess," he grumbles, "you should really be a lot nicer to me. I'm the only thing you've got left in this world."

"No you're not!" Edd retorts, rubbing fiercely at his eyes, "You're lying! I know you are! I _know_ I have family and friends who love me and miss me. _You_ don't care about me at all."

"You sure about that?" Terry asks, sitting back a bit as he reaches into the pocket of his plaid shirt, "You really so sure that they give a damn about you?"

"Of _course_ I am!" Edd snaps back, "Mother and father must be sick with worry. And Ed and Eddy…" His shoulders slump. "They must be devastated…"

Terry can't restrain his wicked grin. Edd's so hopeful, so ready to believe that his family wants him. As sad as he finds it to be, there's some twisted part of him that is delighted at the notion of poisoning that hope as he gazes down at the photographs. He picks out one to start with; the Polaroid of Edd's parents and his old man. That'll be a fun place to start. _Does he even know what my dad looks like?_

"I think _this_ says otherwise," he comments finally, holding the photo between his index and middle finger.

Edd glances at him and is surprised to find him holding the small square. Of course, he can't see what the image is, drawing him to furrow his brow in confusion.

"What's _that?_ "

There's a bit of a waver in his voice and a look in his eyes that belies the confidence with which he so desperately defended his parents' affections for him. Licking his lips a bit, Terry flicks the photo towards Edd, where it flutters to the rug in front of him.

"See for yourself, sweetheart," he nearly laughs.

He waits impatiently as Edd hesitates a moment, gazing at the Polaroid as if it were going to bite him. After sucking in a sharp breath, he reaches his shaking hand towards it and picks it up. The change in his expression is exquisite. From confused to horrified in the matter of seconds. The Polaroid crinkles a bit in his hands as his fingers clutch at the fragile photograph. Tears well in his eyes as he stares at the faces he's seeing. Those happy looks and carefree smiles. _Damn that's gotta sting…_

Gritting his teeth, Edd slowly lowers the photo to hold it in his lap, his entire body shaking.

"Where…Where did you…?" he pauses, his eyes flickering over the image again, "M…Mr. Samspon…?" He glances up at Terry again. "How did you get this? Have you been spying on my friends too?!"

Terry scoffs; "Are you really not gettin' it yet, Princess? Is this really not sinkin' in?"

When Edd stutters out non-answers, Terry rolls his eyes and holds up the second picture.

"Maybe this one will clear things up a little more?" he suggests, tossing the photo Edd's way.

Eyes wide, Edd scrambles to catch it, only to miss and let it land on the floor behind him. Recovering it, he scans the photo once, then again. He looks back at Terry in horror. Back to the photo. Finally, he sinks his weight backwards off of his knees. He doesn't say anything at first, just stares silently at the Polaroid quivering in his fingers. _Say something already, dammit!_ Terry resists the urge to move towards him or say anything. He wants Edd to speak first. To an extent, he finds it kinda funny. He can so clearly remember a time when he couldn't get Edd to _stop_ pestering him about home and who he is and all that shit. Now he's just sitting there; wordless and tearful.

After several long, agonizing minutes, Edd finally does speak.

"Eddy…" he mumbles as he slowly turns his head in Terry's direction, "You…You're…That can't be right…"

That's…not quite what he was expecting. Arching his brow, he shoots the boy a questioning look.

"What can't be right?"

Raising his head a bit, Edd glares at him, his chest heaving as he starts to breathe heavily.

"This is a lie!" he insists, stumbling to his feet and turning to him, "You can't be _him!_ You _can't!_ You _can't_ be this fabled person Eddy always told us stories about! You _can't_ be the person he always looked up to and aspired to be! I _refuse_ to believe it!"

Once that hits him, Terry releases a sharp laugh. Edd bristles in defiance, dropping the photos and clenching his fists.

"This isn't _funny!_ " Edd snaps, struggling to fight back his tears, " You're lying! I know it!"

"What about this is so damn hard for you to believe, sweetheart?" Terry asks, leaning against the wall, "The family resemblance ain't enough?"

Edd stutters again, unable to properly articulate his response. He eventually gives up speaking and just stares back at Terry, his brow furrowed as he tries so hard to process everything and as he teeters on the verge of tears.

"It's not true…" he mumbles his fists shaking in rage, "It just _can't_ be true…Eddy never…Eddy never mentioned _anything_ about you being…about his _brother_ being like this."

"Pipsqueak doesn't know me near as well as he lets on, Princess," Terry retorts, picking under his nails with his thumbnail.

"Pipsqueak…" Edd echoes, his shoulders falling.

His fingers unfurl and he stumbles back to sit on the toilet lid. _So_ _ **that**_ _worked, but not the pictures…?_

"That's the name on the mail he would receive…" Edd continues, his eyes unfocused and staring down at the ground, "It was always addressed to a 'Pipsqueak'…"

He shakes his head, digging his nails into his scalp.

"No!" he cries, "That could mean _anything!_ Anyone could find those letters and use that name for another person!"

"Seriously?" Terry guffaws, "For months, I can't get you to stop bitching about who I am and when I finally fuckin' tell you, you just won't believe me?"

"Because you're a _liar!_ " Edd snaps back, jumping to his feet and taking a step towards him, "All you've _ever_ done is lie to me! Why should I believe you're my best friend's brother — the individual that Eddy idolized above all others?! The person he once used to instill fear and his own twisted view of respect into our neighbors through a warped rumor?!" He's hit with a small coughing fit. " _Why—_ " Cough-cough. "Wh- _Why_ would I believe you're him?!"

Terry observes him carefully, giving him a minute to catch his breath.

"Cuz I _am,_ " he finally answers, "My name is Terry Sampson. That little Pipsqueak you're so fond of is my brother and that jackass in the picture with your so-called parents is my douchebag of a dad."

"B-But that…" Edd stutters through his panting, "Th-That doesn't make sense!"

He pauses, his twitching fingers fidgeting with the robe as he mumbles incoherently to himself.

"P-Prove it!" he demands after a moment, "Prove to me that you are who you say you are!"

Terry scoffs; "And how would you like me to do that, Princess? You won't believe the fucking photographic evidence. What more do you need?"

"Um…" Edd pauses, searching the floor for an answer, "Uh…Oh! H-His bedroom! Eddy's brother boarded up his bedroom and—"

"Bullshit!" Terry interjects, "My _folks_ did that after I moved out. I mean, sure, I used a fuck ton of locks and I didn't mind camouflaging and locking the outside of the door, but my folks are the one who _kept_ it boarded up after I left."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Edd looks away indignantly; "That's not what I was going to say, but fine. Either way, that room was boarded up when Eddy broke in to give Ed and I a tour."

"Little fucker…" Terry grumbles, but snickers as a thought occurs to him, "Bet he got more than he bargained for with my safe…"

Edd bristles; "No! But that safe nearly broke _my_ foot!"

"What?!" Terry sits up, clenching his fist, "That little shit let it fall on _you?!_ "

"Well—"

"I'll fucking kill him…" Terry snarls, glaring down at his hands, "Next time I see him, I'm gonna wring his fat little neck!"

"Anyway," Edd speaks through his teeth before taking a breath, "I…Just to be sure…If you are who you claim to be, then you can tell me what you had hanging on your walls."

"Do you mean in general or is there a specific wall you have in mind?" Terry shrugs, calming down again, "I put a lot of shit up in my room."

Edd pouts; "I suppose that's a valid point…It's not unusual for a person to put a great deal of decor on the walls…Okay…Um…Oh!" He snaps his fingers. "Eddy's brother had a taxidermy animal in his bedroom. What was it?"

 _Taxidermy?_ "What, you mean the camel?"

That shuts him up for a second. He wants to deny it so damn bad…

"Uh…Th-The map!" he cries after a few moments, "Eddy found a crude 'treasure map'…which…didn't really lead to much of a treasure but…a map nonetheless. Where was that map hidden?"

"Map…" Terry pauses to think for a moment before it occurs to him suddenly, "Oh yeah…I hid it in some cheap ass trophy. So the little fucker finally found it, huh?"

If Edd were capable of cursing, he's sure he would have after that.

"Wh-Where did the map lead?!" he asks, ignoring Terry's question.

"Well, if I remember right, he woulda ended up somewhere in the trailer park," Terry answers, stroking his goatee, "Didn't bury anything there, just an empty hole."

Again, Edd looks frustrated, still desperate to prove that it's not true.

"Okay…" he whines, "One more…"

Terry rolls his eyes; "Fine. What is it?"

"There were few areas on the walls," he begins uneasily, "Places that were labeled for…whatever reason. What was labeled and what did they say?"

Terry cocks his brow, surprised by Edd's inquiries.

"Alright," he crosses his arms over his chest, "Next to my refrigerator bed and my car, I had a toilet seat hanging from a noose and two prosthetic arms on either side of it. The label under all that said 'Lucky'. Beside the door, was a trash can lid that I labeled with 'Angst'. And finally, there was a spot on my wall near the camel where I tore away the drywall that I labeled with 'Decay'. Is that enough detail for you, Princess?"

Edd's shoulders fall and his body slumps down to the floor again. He's back to shivering, back to silence. He's crying again too, his eyes gazing at everything and nothing at the same time. He slowly, stiffly curls up on himself, hugging his knees to his chest. Terry doesn't say anything. He's clearly gotten through to him — Edd _clearly_ believes who he is. But there's something else he's struggling with. Something he still can't wrap his head around.

"I don't understand…" he mumbles finally, "If you're really him…then why…?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you do this to me?" Edd clarifies, "You'd never even met me before…I think I spoke to you _once_ over the phone, but that's _it._ " He pauses glancing up at him. "Why…Why did you do this to me? What did I do to make you do this to me?"

" _You_ didn't do _anything…_ " Terry retorts with a grimace, "It was the little fuckin' Pipsqueak that did it."

"Eddy…" Edd gazes at him, confused, "What on earth did _Eddy_ do to make you do this?"

Gritting his teeth, Terry glares at the floor just in front of him.

"They wouldn't stop…" he mumbles, "All the letters…those pictures…"

"Pictures…" Edd's eyes grow wide, " _E-Eddy_ sent those photos to you?! Wh… _Why?!_ "

"Just couldn't fuckin' help himself…" Terry continues through his teeth, "Just couldn't stop bragging about you…Always shoving these pictures of the most beautiful fucking thing in my face…Just to spite me…Cuz I couldn't have you."

He trails off, his fingers curling into a fist as the anger builds again. Just thinking about that period of time is enough to enrage him. Son of a bitch…

" _What did they say…?_ "

He returns his attention to Edd, who's looking less angry at him and more concerned. Still curled up, he looks even smaller than he is and he's shivering terribly.

"What's that?" Terry asks, slowly unclenching his fist.

"The letters…" Edd mumbles, "What did they say…?"

"I just said it," Terry shrugs back, "He talked about you."

Bowing his head, Edd looks to be thinking carefully.

"Did…" he pauses again, rethinking what he wants to ask, "Is that how Eddy sees me…?"

Terry furrows his brow; "The fuck you going on about?"

"Those…things you said…" Edd verifies, "About my parents and…and my life…Is…Is that what Eddy told you?"

"Oh," Terry scoffs, "No. I just guessed as much based on the stories he'd tell me."

"What kind of stories…?"

"Stories like…" Terry searches his memory for an example, "How him and that big idiot once tricked you into believing your folks would pile insane chores on you. He said you were so scared to go home that you tried to move in with him."

Edd bristles at that, hunching his shoulders and grimacing.

"That's a poor example…" he grumbles, "I knew they were playing one of their immature pranks…My 'moving in with Eddy' was more of a ploy I was using to get back at him for putting me through so much stress that day."

Terry shrugs; "Sure, Pipsqueak was probably exaggerating, but he also told me over and over that your parents were never home and that you'd start most days by going through a giant fucking stack of sticky notes they'd leave you."

Edd doesn't have much of an argument for that one. _Cuz it's fucking true._

"He made it pretty clear that they treated you more like a servant then their son," he concludes, "And when I met 'em over dinner, I got the same vibes."

"So you really _didn't_ meet them before…" Edd notes with a grumble, "You were just…guessing?"

"I'd call it more of an 'educated guess'," Terry corrects, "Going off of what Pipsqueak told me, but yes."

"So you don't actually _know_ that," Edd assumes, "You don't _actually_ know how mother and father feel about me."

"I wouldn't say that," Terry argues, "I'd say I know plenty. Cuz those two definitely don't give a shit that you're gone."

"Stop saying that!" Edd cries, covering his ears, "It's not true! I know it!"

"I saw it with my own eyes, Princess."

Edd lowers his hands, glaring at him; "What?! What is it you _think_ you saw in them?! What is this so-called proof that you claim to have about them?!" He picks up the Polaroid of his parents again and shoves it towards Terry. "This shows me _nothing!_ A captured moment in time when they allowed themselves to relax and stop hurting while they were surrounded by friends…and _you…_ That means nothing."

"It may be a moment, but it was one of many," Terry replies, "They never _once_ mentioned you and they didn't look bothered by the fact that you weren't there. _Anyone_ who saw them would say the same thing I am; that they don't give a shit that you're gone."

Not _technically_ a lie. Eddy's the only person at the table who dared to mention Edd by name (or, rather, _his_ name for Edd) and the only one who seemed to be thinking about him at all aside from Terry. He can't speak for Ed at all. He was mostly quiet during the visit, but maybe that's another indication that he was thinking about Edd too — just not _talking_ about him? For that matter, he never looked like he was avoiding that topic at any point during the visit. Eddy was, but not Ed. It seemed more to him that Ed might have just been too dense to think about something unless it was in his direct vicinity. So the subject of Edd may have been out of mind for the day. Not to mention his shared excitement with Eddy over Terry's return was probably enough of a distraction.

"The point is, the way they acted made it clear that they don't care about you," Terry grumbles, "That dinner was business as usual for them. You being gone meant nothing."

Edd pouts back, gripping the sleeves of the robe.

"Did…Ed or Eddy mention me at least?" he asks, "Surely _they_ miss me…"

"Not really…" Terry scoffs back, "They were too busy crawling all over me and Pipsqueak only ever talked my ear off about some fucker named 'Kevin'."

Okay, so that's mostly a lie, but again, he's careful to sneak in those little nuggets of truth. And it seems to be at least a little effective as the name seems to startle Edd.

"But…" he mumbles, "Th-That's not right…I mean, sure, Eddy obsessed over Kevin to an unhealthy degree at times, but…why would he talk about him like that over Christmas?"

He watches the mood change in fascination. From somewhat concerned to horribly downtrodden as Edd continues speaking softly to himself.

"Eddy always _did_ want to assimilate into the larger group…" he muses, "Even with all of our scams, he still wanted their approval…Have…Have they _actually_ accepted him as part of their group?" His hands find their places against the sides of his head again. "Was…Was _I_ the reason Eddy never made the friends he _really_ wanted? If I'm not there…does that mean it was my fault…?"

 _Ooh…opportunity._

"Sure seems like it…" Terry comments.

"B-But…" Edd's crying again, tears welling up in his eyes before falling fat and fast down his cheeks, "No! That would mean that…th-that they didn't _really_ …that they weren't _really_ my friends…That I was just…there…"

With an anguished cry, he wipes the tears away with the sleeves of the robe and pushes himself to his feet.

"No!" he sobs, "No! You're lying! All you _ever_ do is lie! That's why Eddy thinks you're so wonderful! He doesn't know the truth!"

"Whatever the hell Pipsqueak told you about me is shit he made up himself," Terry retorts with a grunt.

"Yet you lied to _me_ about who you were!"

"Hey, I _never_ lied about that," Terry stands as well, taking a step towards him, "Just cuz I never actually _said_ it, don't mean I lied. That's different."

"But you _also_ said it wasn't important!" Edd argues, holding his ground, "Whenever I'd ask you who you are you'd always wave it off and claim that it didn't matter — that it wasn't 'important for me to know'!"

"Cuz it _isn't_ ," Terry insists, "Who I am don't mean dick. All that matters is that you're where you fuckin' _belong._ "

"It _absolutely_ matters!" Edd snaps back, "If I knew who you were I could've—"

He stops himself suddenly with an angry groan. _I see._

"You could've _what?_ " Terry dares, taking another step, "Could've called home? Could've got the cops here faster? You couldn't even get out of the fucking park."

"But if I'd just—"

"And what would've happened if you did?!" Terry snaps, cornering him, "Do you _really_ think those folks of yours would've come running to your rescue? That they would've _cared_ to come get you?"

"W-Well _yes!_ "

"Bullshit!" Terry's voice is getting louder as he towers menacingly over Edd.

Those pretty eyes are full of terror as he gazes up at him, pressing his little body against the wall. Terry realizes in that moment that he could hit him if he wanted to. That he could beat this message into him.

But no. That's not how he gets through to Edd. He knows it. Violence only scares him and adjusts his behavior for a short time. He's gotta approach this from a more…psychological angle.

"Even if they _did_ come for you," he presses, "Do you really think they'd comfort you? That they'd give a shit about what's happened to you?"

"Y-Yes!" Edd insists, his voice and stance wavering more and more.

"I doubt it," Terry places his hand against the wall and leans down closer to him, "After all you've done here."

"Whuh…Wh-What?!" Edd forces himself to glare at him, "Y-You mean what _you've_ made me do! All of those abhorrent things—"

"And what do you think your precious mommy and daddy would say if they heard about those things?" Terry asks, "If they heard about how you'd suck me off and spread your little legs for me? About how you'd eat like a dog and sleep on the floor? About how you'd moan for me during sex?"

"I didn't _choose_ to do _any_ of that!" Edd insists, covering his ears, "You _made me_ do th—"

"But will they care about that?" Terry snaps, "Will that matter when they hear it?"

Edd doesn't respond, but his fingers curl around his ears.

"Face it, Princess," Terry continues, lowering his voice, "Your family doesn't love you. They aren't even _looking_ for you. And your so-called friends don't care about you — hell, they ain't lookin' either."

Finally, he touches Edd, gently moving his hands away from his ears. He goes no farther than that, only holding Edd's hands away from his ears.

"That little Pipsqueak sent me all those pictures," he continues, "Dangled your pretty face in front of me, expecting me to take the bait. He's the reason you're here. He doesn't care about what happened to you."

Edd shakes his head, struggling to pull his hands away from Terry's grip.

"It's not true…" he weeps, "He didn't know…"

"Oh yeah?" Terry grins wickedly, "Then why did he send you home alone that day?"

Edd's struggling stops in an instant. _Almost there…_

"Why didn't he just let you wait at the school for him and the other one?" Terry presses, leaning a little closer, "He practically gift-wrapped you for me."

Edd blinks away the tears, unable to respond. _Go in for the kill._

"No one out there cares about you," Terry's close enough now to practically press his forehead against Edd's own, "No one out there loves you. _I'm_ all you've got. I brought you here because I _care_ about you. Cuz I could see that those friends of yours were just using you. That your _parents_ were only using you. All I want — all I've _ever fucking wanted_ — is treat you the way you _deserve_ to be treated. And if you'd just cooperate with me, I can make you happy and give you all the love and affection you could ever want."

Still, Edd doesn't respond. Only stares down at the floor with wide eyes.

"N…No…" he whimpers after a moment, "I…I don't…"

With a sigh, Terry releases him and stands straight again.

"Fine," he relents, "I ain't pushing this anymore tonight. I've had a long fuckin' day and I wanna fuckin' sleep. If you wanna keep arguing this, then I'll leave you to it. But I'm going to bed."

Frustrated, he crosses the bathroom to the door again, but stops. Goddammit, he came in here for a reason…He turns back to Edd as he places his hand on the door. Edd's still against the wall, looking confused and hurt. _Vulnerable._

"My offer's still open, Princess…" he informs him, "You can stay here if you want; be cold and and keep fighting with yourself about this. Or you can come and sleep with me in my bed. It's your choice. But you don't have to be alone tonight."

As expected, Edd hesitates, his eyes flickering between the discarded photos on the floor. It takes a minute or two as he mulls it over silently in his head before he uneasily pushes himself away from the wall. He says nothing as he crosses the room, holding the robe closed over his body. Standing beside Terry, he fidgets uncomfortably. After a moment, he glances shyly up at him.

"May…" he mutters, "May I have something to eat as well…?"

With a grin, Terry places a hand on Edd's shoulder, pulling him to his side.

"Of course you can."

 _Gotcha._


	29. Ch 28 - Strike a Bro Nerve

Escorting Edd back to the bedroom is simple enough. Terry keeps a tight grip on his shoulder to prevent any possibility of running and he looks too preoccupied with his own thoughts to start screaming. Before leaving the bathroom, he'd grabbed a roll of toilet paper to keep on hand for tissues, but otherwise, they left everything where it was to be cleaned up in the morning.

As they approach the bedroom, however, Edd pauses. Clutching the roll to his middle, he hesitates to actually walk in. Eyes flickering around the door frame and once or twice down the hallway. Worrying his lip between his teeth and furrowing his brow as the temptation to run seems to take him. After a gentle nudge from Terry, however, he takes a timid and reluctant step inside. He's careful, as Terry locks the door, to avoid glancing at the floor tie and takes a wide step around it.

The first thing Terry does once the door is locked is approach the dresser. Out of the corner of his eyes, he sees Edd waiting near the bed, his head bowed as he sets the roll of toilet paper on the bedside table. Only looking up when Terry returns to him with the jersey in hand.

"Here," he offers, holding the shirt towards the boy, "Might be more comfortable to sleep in."

Edd nods, his eyes locked on the floor as he accepts the garment. The offer seems to calm him a bit — perhaps because of the unspoken assurance that there'd be no sexual demands yet — and he finally glances up as Terry moves to the head of the bed. Edd watches him, his brow furrowed, as Terry wordlessly begins to unroll the blanket and lay it out over the bed.

"That looks new…" he notes shyly, adjusting the robe over his shoulder.

"Just got it tonight," Terry replies, "My mom made it."

"I wasn't aware that Mrs. Sampson made her Christmas gifts…" Edd reaches out and rubs the soft material between his fingers, "It's…very nice."

"Yeah, yeah," Terry mumbles, pulling the blanket back once it's properly laid out so that Edd can settle beneath it when he's ready, "Mom's always been somethin' of a homemaker."

"You speak quite fondly about your mother…" Edd mumbles, hesitating to mount the bed, "When you mention your father, you sound so…hateful…"

"That's cuz my dad's an asshole."

"What do you mean?"

Terry turns to him with a grimace; "Do you wanna eat or not?"

"I do, but—"

"Then this conversation can wait till I bring you dinner."

Terry stalks back to the door, ignoring the pitiful look Edd's sending his way.

" _So you're just going to shut me out again?_ " he hears Edd mumble, " _I still have questions…_ "

He stops at the door, clenching his fists. As he places his hand on the doorknob, Terry turns his head towards Edd again.

"We'll talk more after you eat," he promises, "Make yourself comfortable for now."

Still looking disappointed, Edd says nothing more as Terry slips back out of the room. He still takes no chances and locks the door behind him before retreating to the kitchen to retrieve the leftovers. They're not too cold, but they were in the refrigerator long enough that he needs to throw them in the microwave for a few seconds at least. He does a quick taste test of everything and is pleased to note that microwaving the food didn't seem to alter the taste much. Still damn tasty. After fixing up a plate with a little bit of everything for each of them, snatching a couple of forks, and tucking a couple of water bottles under his arm, he returns to the bedroom.

Edd's finally retreated under the covers and is snuggled up beneath the soft, warm blanket. He's definitely not sleeping, though. His brow is furrowed and he's staring straight ahead him, lost in thought. His fingers curl into a fist against his temple intermittently and he's whining softly. As Terry locks the door behind him, he observes this behavior silently. Edd looks miserable. Nothing unusual, really, but something about this expression looks…worse? More empty. He clears his throat as he approaches the bed. Startled, Edd glances up at him. The fabric of the pillowcase has a small dark spot of damp where Edd's tears had fallen from his cheek and he wipes away the salty trail on his skin. Terry scrutinizes him carefully as he holds the plate towards him.

"Hope you're hungry, sweetheart," he states with a smirk.

In response, Edd sits up fully, refusing to make eye contact with Terry as the plate is set before him. Now that the blanket is around his waist, Terry can see that he did pull on the jersey. _Goddammit…_ The exposed skin of his neck and shoulder is tantalizing as fuck and he can feel his mouth watering. Fuck if he doesn't want to drag his tongue along that bruised flesh. To suck a more intimate mark to stand out among the others. The food can wait, right?!

Gritting his teeth, he forces that thought out of his head. He finally got Edd back here and has him dangling precariously from the hook; he ain't gonna scare him off this time, dammit! Instead, he sets the water bottles down on the bedside table and takes a seat beside him on the bed. Edd immediately tenses up, his body curling away from the man beside him.

"The fuck are you doing?" Terry asks, brow cocked.

Bowing his head, Edd fidgets with the blanket.

"You're not…" he mumbles, hunching his shoulders, "You're not going to…m-make me… _do_ anything for this…are you?"

Gritting his teeth, Terry rolls his eyes.

"No," he nearly growls, "Relax, _Princess,_ I don't feel like puttin' up with your struggling tonight after everything else…"

"Everything else…?" Edd glances in his direction, but avoids looking directly at him, "Does actually talking to me for once tire you so tremendously?"

Terry shoots him an angry look before shoving a fork into his hand; "No. But putting up with my shitty, fucking family _and_ yours sure does."

"Oh…" Edd mumbles, bowing his head contritely.

He pokes at the food a bit, pouting as he lifts a bite of the ham to his lips. The blissful smile that breaks on his face speaks more than any words could. Clearly, the first real, home-cooked meal he's had in days is to his liking. It's kinda nice, seeing such a happy look on his face. And he's too preoccupied with his meal to actually try talking again, which means no more questions for the time being. As such, they eat in silence for a while until about half of Edd's plate is gone. That's when he seems to decide that he wants to speak again.

"Why do you hate your father?" he asks softly.

"What?" Terry asks, glancing at him with a grimace as he's brought from his meal.

Edd hesitates a moment before shifting his posture.

"Earlier," he begins uneasily, "I said you spoke fondly of your mother, but that whenever you'd speak about your father, you would sound much more hateful."

"Oh," Terry scoffs, rolling his eyes as he takes a swig from his bottle of water.

"Why is that?"

"Cuz he's an asshole," Terry replies as he swallows down his drink.

"So you mentioned," Edd sighs, "but what do you _mean?_ I recall that Mr. Sampson was often a little…'abrasive', but he never seemed that bad to _me_."

Terry glares at him again; "Yeah, well, you didn't grow up in that house…"

"No…" Edd relents prodding at his remaining meal, "but Eddy did…He would sometimes complain about how his parents would be overbearing, but there were never any incidents where Mr. Sampson was ever hateful towards him at all."

"That's cuz 'pwecious wittle baby Eddy' is the fuckin' favorite," Terry explains coldly, "Pipsqueak always got what he wanted."

"Did he?" Edd asked, turning to him again, "Because Eddy always complained about never getting _anything_ he wanted. Particularly around Christmas…"

"Oh yeah, he was _so_ fucking neglected," Terry guffaws, "He gets that giant fucking bedroom with his own goddamn bathroom, a full walk-in closet, a fuckin' fireplace _and_ a t.v. Little fucker was spoiled goddamn rotten."

He forces himself to calm down and sets his plate aside. There are still a few bites left, but he's lost his goddamn appetite.

"But me?" he continues, "I get a fuckin' hole in the wall."

Edd doesn't seem to have much of an argument against those accusations. And how _could_ he when he's presented with that indisputable evidence of parental favoritism. He seems to have lost his appetite as well.

"So your parents favored Eddy over you?" he asks after a moment, "Why?"

"Cuz they didn't care about _me,_ " Terry shrugs back, crossing his arms over his chest, "They had me when they were young and stupid, so they didn't bother trying to raise me. Fuck, they didn't try with me at all. They let me do whatever I damn well pleased and practically let my grandad raise me cuz they didn't know how to and didn't wanna learn."

He can feel Edd's eyes upon him, but he chooses not to return his gaze. He's already in a shit mood talking about this and he can't bare to look at Edd when he feels this upset.

"But then…why did they have Eddy?" Edd asks, uneasily, "If they were so unprepared for a child, why have another?"

"Cuz by then, they wanted to start over and try again," Terry fidgets with the lid of the bottle, tempted to start guzzling down the water to avoid talking, "I was almost out of high school by then and they were sick of me. Pipsqueak was basically born to replace me and be the kid they _wanted._ "

Edd's silent for a moment as he sits back away from the plate.

"That's…terrible…" he mumbles, "but…isn't that typical, childish reasoning?"

"The fuck's _that_ supposed to mean?" Terry snarls, glaring at him.

"I just…" Edd stutters, "Isn't that a typical response for some older siblings? That they believe that they're being replaced by the new baby?"

 _Ah._

"Maybe," Terry shrugs, calming down, "But in my case, that's just how it was."

"Perhaps it's an over-exaggeration?" Edd suggests, "Or perhaps their behavior was more…unconscious? Surely they weren't _intentionally_ trying to replace their own child…?"

Terry's eyes narrow. It's surprising that Edd's so invested in this. _Guess I_ _ **did**_ _say we'd talk…and he's latching onto it. Fine._ Taking a deep breath, he sits up to turn to Edd fully, making Edd shrink back a bit, edging away slightly.

"Okay, let's say you're right," Terry offers, "That I'm lookin' at it wrong. That they're doing this 'unconsciously'. With that in mind, answer me this; how many pictures of me are hangin' in my parents' house?"

Edd's brow creases and he lowers his gaze to the bed. His eyes flicker back and forth over the sheets as he thinks carefully. Rather than let him continue to struggle with the answer, Terry continues.

"How many times did one of my postcards or letters get to the little brat with my address smeared off?"

Still no response, but this time, he searches Terry's face, perhaps thinking he'll remember that way. The look on his face suggests he's not finding the answer.

"Did you even know my name?" Terry presses, "You said Pipsqueak always talked about me, but you didn't know what I looked like. Did he not tell you that? Did he ever say my name _once_ in those stories you heard? Did my folks ever say it?"

At this point, Edd's looking away again with an expression he can't quite place. He's yet to respond and it seems as though he isn't going to.

"Exactly," Terry grumbles, reclining on the pillows again, "They want to pretend I never existed, so they tried to start over with Eddy."

A long silence stretches between them. Edd's back to nudging his food along with his fork and taking an absentminded bite every now and then. Terry doesn't mind. Though he wishes he didn't have to be left with his own thoughts like this. It's nothing pleasant to think about.

" _Why did you go home…?_ " Edd asks softly, his plate nearly empty of the food.

Terry glances at him, a bit startled after the break in their conversation.

"What do you mean?"

"If it's that bad, then…why did you go home at all?" Edd elaborates, "If they dislike you so much and you them, why would you go home to them? Even for Christmas? Maybe even… _especially_ for Christmas?"

"Aside from your little attitude problem lately?" Terry snarls back, glaring at him.

Edd returns the hateful look; "My desire to escape your abuse is _not_ an 'attitude problem'."

"Says _you,_ " Terry grumbles.

"Are you going to answer my question?"

Rolling his eyes with an irritable sigh, Terry sits up again.

"Aside from giving us both a break," he replies, "My fucking parents wouldn't stop bitching at me to come home. And after what _you_ did, it seemed like a good time to get away for a bit."

Edd shoots him a hateful look for that comment, but says nothing to it.

"Why would they pester you so much about coming home?" he asks instead, "If they want to pretend you never existed, why would they be so adamant that you return?"

"Cuz Pipsqueak was being a whiny brat," Terry scoffs back.

"What?" Edd squints at him, "What does Eddy have to do with any of this?"

"You of all people know how he is," Terry turns to him to face him properly, "You said it yourself that he fuckin' worships the ground I walk on. He's been beggin' me to come home ever since he actually managed to get my address and now he's using you bein' gone as an excuse to get what he wants."

He sees a flicker of hurt cross Edd's face. The little body deflates instantly from his anger and he once again resembles the frail, frightened child all of these revelations have left him.

"Wh…What do you mean?" he nearly whimpers.

Terry leans towards him a bit, lowering his voice.

"He's been telling my folks that he's 'so sad' and only seein' _me_ will make him feel better," he explains, "Not you comin' home. Not even hearin' your voice again. All he wants is me. Because he's _just so sad._ " He scoffs, sitting back again. "What a crock of shit…Little fucker never even mentioned your name while I was home…"

Edd curls in on himself again, hugging his knees to his chest. He's quiet again. It feels like a longer silence than the first. But maybe that's just because of the anticipation. As Terry watches him, though, he begins to wonder if this conversation is really for Edd's benefit anymore. He's looking more and more upset the longer they sit there. Desperation shines in his eyes, but it's dwindling. When he breaks the silence, his voice is barely audible.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised…" he mumbles, more to himself than to Terry.

"What's that?"

Is he _finally_ coming around?! Is he finally internalizing the things Terry's trying to convince him of? Is he finally going to submit to him? Edd's eyes shift to him before he shrugs.

"I just…" he pauses, looking around uneasily before settling his gaze on the blanket, "I had believed…that you would have been disappointed by me…" He stiffly moves his legs so that they're folded beneath him. "And I just realized…I shouldn't be surprised that he'd want _you_ over me…"

"Why the fuck would you think _that?_ " Terry asks, gritting his teeth, "The fuck kinda bullshit was that little fucker feeding you to make you think that?"

Edd hesitates, looking thoughtful as he begins tracing idle shapes into the nap of the material.

"He just made it sound like…" he pauses again, a frustrated look on his face, "Like you were the kind of person who would abhor someone like me. He never said as much himself, but…I always…assumed based on his descriptions. After all, I'm not street-smart like Eddy or…'fun' like Ed…I'm…'boring'. The exact opposite of the way Eddy described you."

"Is that all?" Terry scoffs, "So what? I don't _want_ you to be like them."

Edd glances at him out of the corner of his eye; "That's not the impression I got from Eddy…"

"What all did he _tell_ you? What kind of impression did he give you, exactly?"

Edd shifts again, moving away from the man slightly. His eyes shift back to the blanket.

"I told you; he never said as much himself," he sighs, "It was a feeling I got." He takes a moment to think. "I remember when I first…came to that conclusion. It was back when he spread this rumor that you were coming home. He was convinced that the lie would make everyone respect him, but everyone had a very different response to it. Most of the kids were…terrified, though a few were excited. As the day wore on, his lies began spinning further and further out of control. After the last big lie of the day, we ended up hiding in his room to avoid the angry children who were realizing that you _weren't_ coming home.

"Then…someone decided to pay us back with a prank," Edd's cheeks burn a bit in embarrassment, "They dressed up like you…or…I guess what they assumed you'd look like, given what was in Eddy's closet…Eddy was terrified and…for a moment it worked…we believed them when they threatened us. And later, when we realized our error, they mocked us and it was the talk of the neighborhood for a few days about how gullible we were."

"Is this going somewhere?" Terry asks, rubbing his eyes.

His question makes Edd huff indignantly; "The point is, after all that was said and done, I thought about what might've happened if it really _had_ been you at the door and I realized that I was just as terrified as Eddy was, but for different reasons. He was afraid you'd be mad, but…I realized that…I was afraid you'd be disappointed in the friends Eddy surrounded himself with. And if that happened…if I somehow embarrassed Eddy in front of the person he valued above all others…that maybe he'd stop talking to me. That he wouldn't want to be friends with me anymore."

Terry doesn't say anything to that as Edd strokes the hair near the scar on his forehead, staring absentmindedly ahead of him.

"I didn't linger on it after that," he finally continues softly, "After all, it wasn't really you. And there was never any indication that you were going to return home. So what did I really have to worry about?" He shakes his head. "Still…looking back on everything…I…I should've known he would prefer you over me…It was clear in his behavior."

"Like what?" Terry keeps his voice low as well.

He's answered with another shrug; "He always wanted to be like you. No matter what I'd say or do, if there was ever a choice between my advice and what he thought you'd do, he'd always opt to follow your lead. My opinion meant nothing compared to yours."

He stops talking and swallows thickly. Terry lets that settle as well, waiting for him to say anything else. Where _is_ he going with this? After a few moments, he starts shivering and rubbing at his eyes to stop the tears. Wait, what about that is making him _cry?_

"How horrible must that make me?" he whimpers, "That he would prefer _your_ counsel over mine? How deplorable must I be that he would choose _you_ over me…?" He buries his face in his hands, sobbing. "No wonder he…h-he doesn't care if I come home!"

 _Aw shit…_ As Edd breaks down further, Terry briefly worries that he may have pushed it too far this time. This isn't quite how he wanted Edd to react to the notion that his friends don't care about him. Sure, he wanted Edd sad about that and to accept it, but not…like this…

Then again…This _is_ providing him with an interesting opportunity. Edd's in desperate need of comfort and Terry is the only one who can offer it. And why _shouldn't_ he? He's brought him down lower than he's ever been, and now he's drowning in his hurt. It's Terry's job at this time to drag him back to the surface and give him something new to cling to.

Slowly, gently, he places his hands on the slender shoulders. Edd jumps a bit, startled by the sudden contact, but he doesn't move away. Too distraught by his own sorrow, he doesn't resist the embrace he's pulled into. Terry watches him carefully, rubbing his back and letting him weep. His fingers graze the leather of the collar. For a moment, he considers removing it for the night. Let him breathe easier?

In a minute. For now, he just lets Edd cry. He only moves once more after pulling Edd into his arms and it's only to adjust his position so that they can be more comfortable. With Edd's cheek against Terry's chest, he can feel the tears soaking into his jersey and the heavy puffs of air as Edd's breathing is broken by his sobs.

It doesn't last too long, thank _god_ and as Edd begins to calm down again, Terry reaches over to grab the roll of toilet paper. Sniffling and hiccuping, Edd takes a string of the perforated sheets and blows his red nose. He starts coughing again, probably choked a bit by the sudden crying. A few deep breaths later and he's calm enough to ease himself away from Terry again.

"Better?" Terry asks, his brow cocked.

Edd barely manages a glare through his red eyes; "No."

"You stopped crying."

With a sniffle, Edd crumples up the toilet paper and leaves it on his empty plate.

"That doesn't mean I feel better…" he mumbles back, "I just can't cry anymore…" He rubs his sore eyes wearily as he slouches. "I just want to sleep…"

With a shrug, Terry grabs the plate and groups it with his own. Rising from the bed, he hands Edd one of the bottles of water, which he gratefully drinks down. He doesn't see much of a reason to talk as he leaves the room to return the plates to the kitchen. He also stores away whatever he didn't eat — why waste such good food? Before returning to the bedroom, he considers grabbing a beer. He wants to sleep, sure, but he's got a nagging, annoying feeling that is urging him to the bottle.

Rubbing his eyes and the bridge of his nose, he abandons that thought to instead trudge back to the bedroom. He's still got to figure out the best way to secure Edd for the night. Edd's in a fragile state, so he's not sure he wants to handcuff him the same way he did before. But if he doesn't, he might slip away again.

As he reenters the bedroom, he finds Edd under the covers again, curled up as far away from the bedside table he can get while still remaining on the bed. _Can't have that._ After locking the door, he undresses down to his boxers and approaches the bed. Storing the keys in the bedside table, he retrieves the handcuffs. He opts against taking the collar off. Maybe some other time. For now, he's got an idea that _might_ make Edd more comfortable. _Nothing for it but to try…_

Mounting the bed, he eases himself over to Edd, who tenses against the close proximity.

"Please," he begs softly, hoarsely, "I can't bear anymore abuse from you."

"Relax, sweetheart," Terry breathes, reaching over him to grab his wrist, "We're gonna sleep."

"What are you doing?" Edd gasps as the frigid metal locks around his wrist, "No! I-I promise! I won't run! Don't make me—"

"Easy," Terry sighs, taking the other end of the cuff in hand.

Rather than attach it to Edd's other wrist, he instead attaches the other handcuff to his own.

"Wha…?" Edd stutters.

"See?" Terry asks, "That's not so bad, right?"

"Surely you jest!" Edd guffaws, trying to pull himself away from him.

"It's either this, or I'll handcuff both of your wrists like I did before," Terry states casually, "Is that what you want?"

Edd answers with a whine, his body reluctantly relaxing; "No…"

"Didn't think so," Terry says with a smirk, "Now come away from the edge, Princess. It's warmer in the middle of the bed."

Again, Edd whimpers, but says nothing more as he's pulled back, away from his little corner of the bed. Those distressed noises get worse as Terry shuts the lights out with his free hand before settling in behind him and grabbing the sheets to cover them both. He wraps his free arm around the slender waist, pulling Edd nice and close. Sure, his arm will feel dead in the morning, but it's worth it to spoon with his little darling. He also joins their hands that are handcuffed, linking their fingers together as he nuzzles his cheek against Edd's own.

"Ain't this cozy, Princess?" he breathes, leaving a quick peck to Edd's cheek.

More pitiful whining escaped the tiny form beneath him.

"This feel so much worse…" he groans, "Why did you have to be his brother…?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Terry scoffs.

"I don't…know…" Edd mumbles, hunching his shoulders, "There's just something about it that feels…worse than before."

"Well, get over it," Terry grumbles, "Cuz regardless of who I am, the one thing you better remember is that I'm all you got." He strokes Edd's thumb with his own. "But you'll start feelin' a lot better if you just start cooperating."

He hears Edd mumble something, but it's too quiet for him to hear. Eh, fuck it. As he lays here under the covers, warm and with Edd in his arms, he finds himself caring less and less about their conversation as he allows himself to relax. He can tell Edd's drifting off too. He's not struggling and he can feel the little torso moving more and more slowly against his chest. It's not long after that before he finds himself joining Edd for a content slumber.


	30. Ch 29 - Sealed With Bro's Kiss

There it is again. Another _thump_ against his chest. Not enough to hurt, but enough to…irritate him. Terry furrows his brow, his grip tightening around the body nestled beside him. But rather than stop the movement, it only seems to exacerbate it. As Terry is roused with a groan, he begins to notice the tiny whimpers that permeate his senses. Blinking his eyes open, he looks to Edd, who's squirming and lolling his head back and forth. His adorable face is scrunched in an agonized expression, but it's not because of Terry's hands upon him.

Grumbling a bit, Terry grabs Edd's shoulder and gives it a shake. Not quite as effective as he intended it to be. Rather than open his eyes, Edd instead shuts them tighter and begins crying softly. Alarms suddenly ring in Terry's head, drawing him to sit up a bit and increase his efforts.

"Wake up," he hisses, shaking the boy a bit more forcefully.

When Edd does finally wake, he blinks his eyes open, panting heavily as he looks around, confused.

"Wh…Where am…" his words taper out as he gazes up at the man above him.

His confusion dulls to sorrow and he slowly brings his hands up to cover his eyes, his sobbing getting worse. Startled, Terry cups Edd's cheeks.

"What's wrong?" he breathes, "Why are you crying?"

Edd shakes his head, his breathing ragged.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Terry asks, nudging one of Edd's hands away.

This time, Edd hesitates, before giving a shy nod.

"What were you dreaming about that made you so sad?"

Sniffling, Edd rubs his eyes and grits his teeth.

"It's not fair…" he sobs softly.

"What's that?" Terry asks his eyes narrowing.

"I shouldn't _be_ here…" he weeps, "It shouldn't be _you…_ I…I want my mother!"

"Seriously?" Terry scoffs, "We've been over this, _Princess._ They don't care about you."

Perhaps not the best choice of words, as Edd sobs louder in his hurt. Terry pulls him close again, leaning into his ear.

"Come on, sweetheart," he coos, kissing the shell of Edd's ear, "No more crying. _They_ may not care about you, but _I_ do. And I'm here to give you whatever comfort you need."

Edd squirms against the cradling for a moment, but ultimately allows himself to relax and accept the gentle nuzzling to his temple.

"That's better…" Terry sighs, idly combing his fingers through Edd's hair.

He notices the blanket around their waists and uncomfortably reaches with his free hand to grab it and pull it back over their bodies. When they're nice and cozy again, he pulls Edd back against himself and leans in to place tender kisses to Edd's temple. As they lay together, finally relaxing again after being shaken out of their comfortable sleep, he feels Edd fidgeting. _He's got something on his mind._

"What is it now?" he grumbles.

"I just…" Edd whines a little, "I don't think I could ever become accustomed to this…"

"Nothing I aint been doin' with you anyway," Terry counters, "Hell, this is fuckin' _tame_ compared to what I _could_ be doin' with you."

"True…" Edd grimaces, "but, before, I didn't know who you were…Now I do and…it feels…strange…"

"Why? It's still me."

"Yes, but…" Edd looks away, "Before, you were just some unhinged stranger who delighted in torturing me for reasons I still don't understand." _There's only so many of those I'm gonna let slide, dammit._ "Now…you're my best friend's brother…Now, it feels like…like I'm being abused by my own family…"

Terry rolls his eyes; "Let it go, darlin'. We aint family." He smirks a bit and pulls him a bit closer, leaning in to nip at Edd's neck. "Not yet at least."

Edd whines in disgust; "Don't _say_ things like that!"

"Why not?" Terry chuckles, linking their fingers together again, "We can be better family together than _either_ of our real families combined."

Edd seems to at least partially accept that explanation — _The hell did he_ _ **think**_ _I meant?_ — though he clearly doesn't want to admit it.

"It's still…uncomfortable," he mumbles once he's collected himself again, his little fingers drumming lightly against Terry's hand.

"Well, too bad," Terry sighs as he closes his eyes, "I suggest you get used to it. Cuz I ain't givin' you up. Period."

He hears Edd sigh as well, but chooses to ignore it as he lets himself settle in to sleep. Edd's not squirming anymore. Just laying in what Terry chooses to assume is contentment. Shit, he could stay like this forever. And, as he inches his arm further around Edd's waist, he decides that his little concessions earlier were well worth it to be able to hold Edd like this again.

* * *

The next morning, Terry wakes slowly. The gentle warmth that's still nestled in his arms draws a content sigh from him. Edd's slow, steady breathing against his neck feels heavenly. Perhaps because it's a firm reminder that he's still here. For whatever reason, Edd didn't make any attempt to slip away while he was sleeping. And shit, he was out cold after that little nightmare. He imagines that Edd could've probably gotten around him to get the key and sneak out. But he didn't. He chose to stay and sleep beside him again.

It gives him a great swell of pride.

Jesus, he doesn't want to move. Sure, he'll have to get up eventually — either to take a leak or get food — but fuck that! He's gonna enjoy this as long as he _fucking_ can!

As he lays there, ignoring the soreness in his limbs that are demanding he rise from this spot, he can feel Edd stir beneath him. Gentle, sleepy whining stutters from Edd's chest as he tries to rub his eyes. _Fuckin' precious…_ Leaning in, he places a quick kiss to the boy's cheek, earning himself another grumble as Edd wakes more. Blinking his eyes open, Edd squints up at him.

"Mornin', Sleepin' Beauty," Terry purrs.

"Uggh…" Edd groans, shyly nudging Terry's face away, "I implore you to stop calling me that."

"Aww, but it's true," Terry grabs Edd's hands, placing tender kisses to his knuckles, "You're the prettiest thing I've ever seen."

Edd's cheeks burn; "That's not…I — That's not what I meant…" He pulls his hands away from Terry's grip. "I'm not…a…'girl'…"

"I'm aware," Terry retorts, rolling his eyes, "I've seen every inch of your body, sweetheart. I know you're not a girl."

"Then why must you insist on using such… _feminine_ words when you talk to me?" Brow furrowed, Edd looks away, his cheeks still tinged pink. "W-Would you have preferred if I were female…?"

Cocking his brow, Terry sits up a bit and smirks down at him.

"Fuck no," he hums, "I told you, Princess, your gender don't mean dick to me. You're just prettier than any girl I've ever seen." He cups Edd's cheek. "And you're precious to me. That makes you my Princess."

Edd's silent for a bit, his eyes flickering over Terry's face before turning away.

"I don't like that," he mumbles, "I got made fun of enough for being weaker than the other boys in my neighborhood. I don't appreciate being called female…"

Terry grits his teeth; "Which one of those little ankle biters made fun of you for _that?_ I'll fuckin' kill him."

"Stop that!" Edd snaps, "It's not funny!"

"I'm serious," Terry retorts, "I'll wring their little necks for making you feel bad."

Edd gives him a hard look; "Perhaps you should start with a mirror, then…"

"What?" Terry glares down at him.

With a scoff, Edd looks away, but says nothing more. Terry grits his teeth harder to avoid snapping at that and takes a breath.

"Whatever…" he grumbles, sitting up fully.

And so comes the end to his stay in paradise. Edd must follow suit as Terry reaches over to the bedside table, his wrist tugged along by Terry's own. Without a word, Terry retrieves the keys to the handcuffs to release them. Edd sighs in relief, rubbing his wrist as the cuff is removed. Setting the keys and cuffs aside, Terry glances back at Edd, taking a breath to calm himself.

"You wanna get a shower?" Terry offers huskily, carding his fingers through Edd's hair.

Edd glances back at him, his brow furrowed. He hesitates for a long while before finally shrugging his shoulders.

"N-No…" he mumbles, "Not now…"

 _Interesting…_

"Alright," Terry shrugs, "Me neither. Do you need to take a leak, though?"

Edd glares at him indignantly, crossing his arms over his chest; "Can't you display even the slightest hint of class and cease those wretched vulgarities for _once?_ "

"What?" Terry asks, raising his hands in confusion, "It's not _that_ bad. Jesus, what's got _you_ in such a shit mood?"

"I'm still _here,_ " Edd retorts sternly, "And I just found out that my mother and father may not miss me or care if I come home and that my best friend may not care about me and would likely prefer to spend his time with a _lecher_ than with _me_. My _sincerest_ apologies for not being in a better mood."

"I choose to ignore that insult…" Terry grumbles, "Fine. I get it. Let's try again; Do you need to use the bathroom?"

Edd shrugs; "I'd like to brush my teeth, at least…"

"Yeah, I probably shoulda seen _that_ coming…" Terry notes under his breath as he rises from the bed.

After donning the discarded robe, he grabs the ball gag and turns to Edd, his brow cocked.

"Now," he begins, "Are you gonna be good and quiet for me, or do we need to use _this_ again?"

Edd pouts, staring at the gag. He bites his lip, his gaze drifting across the floor. Moments later, his shoulders slump and he sighs softly.

"I'm…" he cringes, "I'm not…going anywhere. Not that I have anywhere _to_ …go." Brow furrowed, he gazes up at Terry. "Please, don't make me use that again."

Terry surveys him carefully, looking for any sign of deceit. However, when he's met with nothing but a hurt look in Edd's downcast eyes, he sets the gag back in the drawer. He's probably stupid as shit for doing this, but, if his assessment of Edd's current mental state is at all correct, it's a risk he can afford to take.

Extending his hand, he waits for Edd to take it. Like everything else, there's hesitation before Edd shyly rests his hand in Terry's own. Pleased, Terry then escorts Edd from the bedroom. His hand clenches tight around Edd's as the door is unlocked and opened. It draws pitiful whimpers from Edd, but that's about it. He doesn't relinquish his grip until they cross the threshold into the bathroom and shut the door behind them.

Edd tenses considerably as the door is locked and he hesitates to step further into the room. Glancing in his direction, Terry finds that his eyes are locked on the ground in the middle of the room, where the photos lay discarded. With a soft sigh, he gently tugs Edd further into the bathroom and to the sink.

As though to shield Edd from the photos, Terry stands behind him, his hands resting on the tiny shoulders. It seems to help, at least somewhat, as Edd reaches forward to grab the toothbrush. His movements are mechanical as he brushes his teeth, staring dejectedly into the mirror. Brow cocked, Terry leans down to kiss the top of his head, allowing his hands to slide down Edd's arms slightly. He feels Edd tense a bit, but he doesn't try to squirm away — just lowers his gaze.

When he finishes, he rinses his mouth clean and runs the toothbrush under the water thoroughly. However, he hesitates to hand it over to Terry.

"You'll get sick if you use this…" he mumbles, "I brushed my teeth frequently while I was…in here."

Terry smirks, wrapping his hand around Edd's own. He leans down to kiss his cheek.

"I'm willin' to bet I'm gonna get sick anyway just from bein' around you," he purrs, lifting the toothbrush from Edd's fingers, "But I'm glad to hear you're so worried about me, darlin'."

Edd's cheeks burn, but he says nothing more as he steps away from Terry, grumbling under his breath. Something about 'not being concerned' or 'not wanting to deal with whatever reaction Terry will give him if he _does_ get sick'. Whatever.

Edd sits on the toilet lid and pulls his legs up to his chest. He lets his gaze drift back to the floor, but he's doing his best to avoid looking at the Polaroids. Terry watches him out of the corner of his eye as he brushes, concerned about what he might do. His body is a weird combination of relaxed and tensed. His shoulders are slumped and his head is bowed, but he's hugging his knees tight against his chest and he can see that Edd's little toes are clenched. He can tell that there's something he wants to say. Something he wants to get off his chest and discuss. But rather than say anything, he instead shelters himself in the silence.

Rinsing out his mouth, Terry sets the toothbrush aside again. He turns to Edd fully, finding him to still be curled up and looking pensive. With a sigh, he clears his throat to draw Edd's attention. He watches as Edd unfurls himself before slowly and stiffly standing straight. Casting a shy glance at Terry, he reluctantly takes a tentative step towards him. Terry delights in the lack of resistance as he takes Edd's hand in his own.

Back to the bedroom without any trouble, he settles Edd down into the bed.

"Hungry?" he asks, cocking his brow.

Edd shrugs, shaking his head. Terry casts him a curious look and presses the back of his hand to the boy's forehead. He pauses to focus on detecting any sign of a fever, but finds that Edd's temperature feels normal. Cocking his brow, he pulls his hand away.

"Do you feel sick?" he asks.

Again, Edd shakes his head; "I just…want to lie down."

Giving a shrug of his own, Terry stands a little straighter and watches Edd turn away to curl up under the covers. He still looks like he wants to say _something_ , but he doesn't. Just stares at the wall, his expression shifting from thoughtful, to worried, to sorrow, then back to thoughtful.

Terry approaches the bed, settling down beside him. With a small smirk, he begins idly stroking Edd's upper arm. Edd flinches a bit and glances at him out of the corner of his eye. He opens his mouth, but seems to think against whatever was about to come out and shuts it again. Instead, he curls up a little more, creating a more dramatic curve to his back.

He looks so troubled — so sad. Terry edges a bit closer. Rather than let Edd continue dwelling on whatever it is he's thinking about Terry allows his hand to slide down the scrawny chest. It'll provide a good distraction. And really, he's been hella patient. He deserves a little intimacy. However, when he begins lifting up the jersey to gain access to Edd's bare skin, it results in the boy squirming and whining beside him.

"N-No!" he pleads, grabbing the large wrist, "No more of that!"

"Come _on!_ " Terry growls, pulling Edd towards him so that he rolls onto his back, "I've put it off for a whole fuckin' week!" He squeezes Edd's hip and leans into his ear. "Besides, a little release'll do us _both_ good, y'know. It'll make you feel better."

Edd weakly pushes against Terry's wrist, bringing his legs up to put a barrier between them.

"No!" he insists, "I just…" He whimpers. "I-I just want to sleep!"

"You can do that _after._ "

"You're the _worst!_ " Edd sobs, smacking his feeble fists against Terry's chest, "I suffered through a horrible, _wretched_ night and now you're trying to _force yourself_ upon me?! Haven't you put me through _enough?!_ "

Terry feels his eye twitch at that.

"Hey!" he snaps back, grabbing Edd's wrists and sitting up, "I went through a lot of shit last night too! I had to sit there with my jackass dad glaring at me all through dinner cuz he didn't fuckin' _want_ me there. I had to watch _your_ parents act like you being gone was just another inconvenience. Do you have any idea how goddamn hard it was to stay quiet?" Edd glances up at him. "Every last second, I had to stop myself from goin' off on them. I had to just sit there and watch them casually enjoying dinner and smiling and laughing. It was fuckin' disgusting."

He pauses, glaring down at Edd as the boy cowers beneath him. His look softens a bit as he cups the wet cheek.

"And while I was sitting there," he continues, gritting his teeth, "I realized I wasn't doin' any better…cuz I left you here alone." He wipes away Edd's tears. "All I could think about was how fuckin' bad I wanted to come back home. But at every turn, my shitbag family would stop me from leaving. It was fucking torture."

Brow furrowed, Edd tries to glare at him, but ends up looking away.

"If you wanted to stay here, you could have," he grumbles, "You _chose_ to leave."

"Only because _you_ drove me to," Terry snarls, "I thought about turning back about halfway to Peach Creek. But if I did that, my fucking family wouldn't let me hear the end of it."

"That was still _your_ decision," Edd insists, "You can't guilt me into sating your deplorable desires over _that._ "

"Bullshit!" Terry releases Edd's wrists to lean on both of his hands above him, "I've been pent the fuck up for days and you fuckin' _owe_ me for puttin' me through all that shit."

"I 'owe you' _nothing!_ " Edd snaps back, crossing his arms over his chest.

Terry groans, clutching the sheets in his fist.

"Why are you being so damn difficult?!" he demands, "You're acting so goddamn sad. Wouldn't a little affection make you feel _better?_ "

Edd averts his gaze, hunching his shoulders as he pouts.

"If I'm so 'difficult'," he grumbles softly, "then why are you so adamant about keeping me?"

"What?" Terry asks, glaring down at him.

Glancing back at him for a moment, Edd sighs.

"Why…" he mumbles softly, his eyelids drooping, "Why do you…"

"You're really asking that _again?_ " Terry groans, "'Why?' 'Why?' 'Why?' You're like a broken goddamn record. I've answered this question over and over. What more do you _want?_ "

Edd tries to bow his head, looking more remorseful.

"I just…I don't…understand…" he replies, "If…If Ed and Eddy…or even my own parents…If none of _them_ want me…why would _you?_ You act like I'm such a burden to you. So why would you want me at all…?"

Hmm, a twist on a classic, it seems. Terry stares down at Edd carefully. For once, Edd gazes back up at him without wavering, his brow furrowed in anticipation of whatever answer Terry intends to give him. Breathing a sigh, Terry leans in a little closer.

"I told you," he speaks softly, kissing the corner of Edd's lips, "I want you because I love you."

With a grunt, Edd shoves him away, holding him at bay with both hands.

"Stop saying that!" he demands, "It's not possible. You don't even _know_ me!"

"I know plenty—"

"Yes, you know _facts,_ " Edd interjects, "You can recite little tidbits about my life that you picked up from Eddy, but just because you know things _about_ me doesn't mean you _know_ me. Hearing secondhand stories doesn't equate to knowing someone on an intimate level, Terry. Surely you can at least admit that much!" He takes a breath to calm himself. "It's the same with me…I know things _about_ you from Eddy — not that that's much help since none of it was accurate, but I know some things. But even knowing _some things_ about you, I can't at all say I _truly_ know you."

Terry doesn't respond to that right away. To a degree, Edd has a point, but he doesn't want to admit it. When Terry doesn't comment, Edd continues.

"You assumed to have all of this intimate knowledge about me and decided it was enough to abduct a twelve year ol—"

He stops dead in his statement, his eyes wide. Terry observes him quizzically as Edd counts on his fingers for a moment before realization dawns on his face.

"Thirteen…"

Terry squints at him; "What?"

"My birthday…" tears are welling in Edd's eyes as he mumbles softly, staring up into the dark void above him, "It came and went and I didn't even notice…I-I'm thirteen…"

"What?!"

This time, Terry's voice is noticeably full of shock. How the fuck did he let this happen?! How the fuck did he miss it?!

"When was it?" he asks, grabbing Edd's arms, "What day?"

Edd stares up at him, his eyes flickering over his face for a moment.

"The seventeenth…" he replies, "A little over a week ago…I think…?"

"Whuh…Why didn't you _say_ anything?!" Terry demands, "I even mentioned your birthday around that time and it didn't cross your mind?!"

"Stop!" Edd whines, trying to pry the large hand away from his arm, "That hurts!"

Forcing himself to calm down, Terry eases his grip on Edd's arms, gently rubbing the new bruises left on the milky flesh. Edd sniffles, trying to scoot away.

"I just hadn't considered it…" he whimpers, "With everything else that happened…I was so distracted by my sickness and my frustrations and…It didn't occur to me at all…" He buries his face in his hands, his body shaking. "I missed my own birthday…because of _you._ "

Terry stares down at Edd in awe, unable to find the words for a moment. Shit…He fucked up…He didn't expect that Edd's birthday was coming up so soon…or rather, that it had passed. He planned to get the date out of him after Edd had grown accustomed to being with him, but he was too late. And now he really _wasn't_ any better than those motherfuckers who neglected him! Dammit!

So much for getting in a quick one before breakfast…

For that matter, he has to think long and hard about how to handle this. Edd's vulnerable and hurt. He needs comforting, but Terry's not totally sure how to _do_ that. After all, Edd blames him for missing his birthday. And — Terry grits his teeth — he's not totally wrong. He can't remember the exact day, but he knows it was right around Edd's birthday that he beat him half to death. Granted, Edd _did_ try to run from him, but he's naturally got that horrible memory stuck in his head and now associates it with his birthday. He feels a pit of regret in his stomach. He'll have to approach this delicately and _show_ Edd that regret.

Gently taking Edd's little hands in his own, he gazes down into his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he breathes, placing tender kisses to the quivering knuckles, "Please…forgive me for letting myself _ever_ miss such an important day."

Of course, Edd's startled by this sudden change and returns his look with one of suspicion.

"I'll make it up to you, Princess," Terry breathes, kissing along each of Edd's fingers, "I promise. And I'll start with giving you whatever you want. Money is no object — I don't care what it costs. Whatever your little heart desires. I'll get it. Just…" He furrows his brow, moving one hand to stroke Edd's cheek. "Just…Don't ask for… _that_. I can't…do that. I can't let you go back there."

"But!"

"They don't _want you,_ " Terry insists, "They don't _love you._ I do. I can make you happy — we just need to get back on track."

He considers, briefly, giving Edd the ring now. It would certainly show him how much he cares for him — that he would present him with such a beautiful gift. But then again…He doesn't want it to be _that_ kind of gift. It would be more of a band-aid. He'd already admitted that he didn't realize Edd's birthday had come and gone. He can't claim to have gotten him the ring for that. No, he needs to give Edd something he _genuinely_ wants and save the ring for a more special occasion, when it will undeniably be associated with his affections and not a mistake.

In response, Edd shakes his head.

"I don't _want_ anything tangible…" he mumbles, prying one of his hands away to rub at his eyes, "I just want to be with my friends and family…" His breathing becomes labored as the tears trickle down his cheeks. "I-I want to be treated like a _child_ again."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You constantly berate Mother and Father for not treating me like a child," Edd clarifies, glaring up at him, "Yet _you_ have no problem treating me like an adult…or, rather, an object to release your sexual depravities upon."

"That's different," Terry retorts, "Those fuckers treated you like a slave cuz they were selfish assholes." He changes his tone as he wraps his arm around Edd's waist. " _I_ treat you like a lover cuz I _love_ you. Cuz I _want_ you."

With a pout, Edd looks away. He's quiet for a long time as he absorbs the information. When he finally looks up at Terry again, he has a determined look in his eyes.

"You'll really give me…anything I want?"

"Of course," grinning wide, Terry wraps up Edd's hands in his own again; "Anything. Just name it, sweetheart."

"Well…I think I'd like to go outside once in a while?" Edd offers hopefully.

Terry grimaces; "How stupid to you really think I am?"

"But you've kept me indoors for so _long!_ " Edd insists, "I'm in desperate need of vitamin D!"

"I could fix that if you'd quit fightin' me," Terry snaps back, "And you don't need to go outside to get some of _that._ "

Edd's face scrunches in confusion; "What…? Of course I need to—" He stops himself in his tracks, his cheeks burning, before he grimaces in disgust. "That is _not_ what I meant! Vitamin D! The essential nutrient found in milk and which is also produced from sunlight on your skin!"

"Oh, _that…_ " Terry rolls his eyes, "I can give you more milk."

"But being exposed to sunlight is important!" Edd argues.

"I don't care," Terry retorts, "After what you did, I don't trust you."

"What about just letting me out of this bedroom?" Edd pleads, "Or the bathroom? I could stay inside, just…not in such a confined space…?"

"No."

"You said anything."

"I did," Terry agrees, "But not that. Try again."

Edd sighs heavily; "Fine…"

He pauses, thinking carefully. Terry waits patiently for his answer, ready to shoot down another request like the one before. Finally, he turns his attention back to Terry with a thoughtful look.

"Okay, if not that," he begins carefully, "I'd kind've like for you to start _talking_ to me?"

"What?" Terry guffaws, "Why?"

"I've learned more about you in one night than I have in the _months_ you've kept me trapped here," Edd argues, "Mother and father _rarely_ spoke to me outside of their sticky notes. If you want to prove to me that you care about me more than them or my friends, then I want to do more of _this._ More _talking_."

"Is that all…?" Terry pouts, "Isn't there _anything else_ I can give you? Something you want more than anything else in the world…aside from going home?"

"Now that you mention it," Edd shrugs, "There _is._ " He sighs again. "But I know you wouldn't do it…"

"What?" Terry scoffs, "Yeah I would…What is it?"

Edd gazes up at him carefully; "Are you really sure?"

"Look, as long as you're not askin' to leave the trailer again," Terry replies, "Or to go home, then whatever. I'll do it."

"Okay…" Edd looks a little uneasy, "In that case, I also want you to stop doing…sexual things to me."

"That sounds like a goddamn deal breaker."

"I don't see how," Edd retorts with a pout, "Aside from your insatiable libido, it can't be _that_ hard for you to refrain from engaging in that type of behavior? Besides…" He looks away shyly. "If you love me as much as you claim to, you can show it in ways _other_ than…that."

"Bullshit!" Terry snaps, "You can't just ask me to do that! I want you more than fuckin' _anything._ You can't just ask me not to fuck you again." He pauses, thinking of how best to explain what he means. Arching his brow, he leans closer until he can almost taste Edd's lips and shoots him a grin. "Fucking is the best way to feel closer to you." He nuzzles Edd's cheek. "You can't ask me to give that up."

Edd whines a bit against the nuzzling before nudging him away.

"I-I can and I _am,_ " he insists, "I'm serious! If you can't be bothered to abstain from using me to indulge in your sexual desires and express yourself to me appropriately, then you instead prove the antithesis of what you claim: that you care about me as little as you claim my family and friends do."

Shit…This argument is quickly getting away from him. It's an ultimatum that Terry's not sure he can actually handle. Biting his lip, Terry sits up again.

"How long…?"

"'How long' what?"

"How long are you gonna make me wait?" Terry asks through his teeth.

Glaring up at him, Edd hugs his arms; "You'll wait as long as you need to."

With that, he turns away again. Terry, meanwhile, finds himself having an existential crisis. Give up sex?! Can he seriously be considering such a drastic measure as that?! _But if I don't, he'll just keep fighting me and try to run away again._ Amidst this horrid proposal, Edd does have at least one thing right — he's become closer to Edd in one night more than the entire duration of his stay here. He's got to play this right. Give him small concessions to earn his trust _and_ his affections. But… _Giving up sex?!_

Digging his nails into his own scalp, he curls in on himself, resting his forehead against Edd's arm as he groans in frustration. _It's not fair, dammit!_ He's finally gotten Edd to listen and has him almost ready to believe him. If he doesn't play this safe, he might lose that progress. The first _genuine_ progress he's made. _Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!_ Gritting his teeth, he places his hands on Edd's waist.

"Okay…" he hisses, "I'll wait…"

He feels Edd shift as he turns to face him again.

"R-Really?" he gasps softly, "Y-You're not just saying that, are you?"

Terry lifts his head to glare at him.

"I'll wait," he repeats with a growl, "If it means you'll be mine…I'll wait."

Edd sighs in relief, his body relaxing; "Well…Thank you…"

"Yeah…" Terry rolls his eyes, sitting up a bit, "But since I gotta wait so damn long, I intend to get one last round in before I gotta give that shit up."

"Wh-What?!" Edd gasps, recoiling from the hands grasping his hips.

"Yeah, why not?" Terry asks with a smirk, "If I can just get off one last time, I'll be able to wait no problem."

"Absolutely _not!_ " Edd snaps back, pushing against the large hands.

Whining, Terry digs his nails into Edd's hips, "Are you kidding me?!"

"If you _seriously_ can't wait even _now,_ " Edd cries, "then you've already failed!"

With a rage-filled groan, Terry releases Edd's hip and sits up.

"Fucking _fine!_ " he roars, grabbing Edd's arms, "But if I'm gonna stop fucking you, then I got a condition _you're_ gonna agree to."

"Why should I agree to _anything_ you say?!" Edd argues, "After everything else you've done to me—"

"Well, I guess the deal's off, then?" Terry sneers, "And I can fuck you all I want."

Edd groans, pouting up at him; "Fine, fine. What is this condition that you're hinging this agreement upon?"

"I still get to kiss you whenever the hell I want," Terry states, "I won't go any farther than that, but I ain't givin' up kissing you."

Sighing softly, Edd looks away; "I suppose that's acceptable…"

"Oh, and just cuz _you_ ain't gettin' off don't mean _I_ won't be," Terry continues, "So if I wanna jack off to you, I'm doin' it."

"That's _abhorrent!_ " Edd retorts, "Absolutely not!"

"Hey, you said you wanted me to stop doin' that shit to _you_ ," Terry notes, "You didn't say dick about me doing anything to _myself._ "

"I imagined it would be implied…" Edd grumbles, "I _did_ also mention not using me to relieve your sexual frustrations."

"Listen," Terry grumbles, "I'll stop fucking you, but you ain't stoppin' me from masturbating."

"Urgh!" Edd groans, covering his ears, "Fine! As long as it means you won't do those despicable things to _me_ again…" He sighs. "Then I accept those terms."

"Good, then it's a deal," Terry smirks, leaning in to place a quick kiss to his lips, "Don't keep me waiting too long, Princess…"

Rolling his eyes, Edd turns his face away.

"We'll see…" he mumbles.

He tenses as his stomach growls, blushing and drawing Terry to grin wickedly.

"You want some breakfast now?"

Edd pouts indignantly; "Yes…"

"Alright," Terry shrugs, pushing himself upright, "What would you like?"

Still blushing a bit, Edd glances back at him, "Um…P-Perhaps a…a bowl of Chunky Puffs…?"

Terry fights back the snicker at that.

"Whatever you want, Princess," he coos, "I'll be right back."

With that, he gives Edd's cheek a quick peck before rising from the bed.


	31. Ch 30 - Stop Beating Around The Edd

The first thing Edd asks when they finish breakfast is for more 'suitable' clothing.

"What's wrong with what ya got on?" Terry asks, stacking the empty bowls.

Edd shrugs shyly; "There's nothing…wrong with it…necessarily…" He shifts uncomfortably. "I'd just prefer to feel less…exposed."

"Well, I still got those pretty dresses I bought for you?" Terry offers with a smug grin, "You can wear _those?_ "

Gagging a bit in response, Edd shakes his head.

"Absolutely not," he retorts, "I refuse to wear those…feminine garments. What did you do with _my_ clothes?"

"Those are long gone," Terry answers, "I _do_ still have your hat, but I have a feelin' you don't want that anymore."

Edd glares at him; "Not until it's _thoroughly_ sanitized and…maybe not even then…"

"Didn't think so."

"Don't you have _anything_ else?" Edd asks, feebly holding the fabric of the jersey down over his genitals in a pitiful attempt to ensure they're covered, "Please?"

Terry sighs, stroking his goatee; "My mom _did_ just give me a shit ton of new clothes…A lot of it was handmade, but I think she might've gotten me some store-bought shit too…"

With that in mind, he retreats to the closet to grab the bag of gifts he'd yet to put away and brings it back to the bed. Edd sits up a little straighter, rising to his knees to inspect the bag as it's set on the bed before him. Terry sifts through the boxes, sorting through their contents. He starts to set aside one of the more colorful sweaters when Edd reaches for it. Before can touch the box, however, he stops, glancing up at Terry's face for a moment. With a shrug, Terry hands him the box, which Edd accepts with a mumbled 'thank you'. Then it's back to looking through the remaining gifts.

He comes across a box that has mostly socks and a package of boxers and sets it aside. There's not much left. Mostly more sweaters and scarves. _Ah-ha!_ At the bottom of the bag, he finds the box he was thinking of, containing a pair of faded plaid pajamas. Why his mother believed he would ever sleep in anything but the nude is beyond him, but oh well; it should work.

"How about these?" he offers after a minute, letting Edd look over them, "They'll be big as hell on you, but the pants should have a draw string. And I can probably either shorten the legs or you can roll 'em up."

"These would be splendid," Edd replies before giving a shy glance to the boxers, "May I…have a couple of these as well?"

Terry cocks his brow; "Why?"

Edd draws his knees together a little more and hunches his shoulders.

"I-I told you…" he mumbles, "I don't like feeling so…exposed."

Terry shrugs, packing the other gifts back into the bag; "Whatever you say."

He can almost feel Edd hesitating to say something else.

"What is it?" he asks, setting the bag back in the closet.

"Um…" Edd pauses and, as Terry turns to him, looks around uncertainly, "Would it be possible…for you to purchase some new clothes for me? Something a _boy_ would wear?"

Terry glares at him a bit and approaches the bed. He watches Edd cower as he leans over him and he grimaces at the boy's shivering.

"I'm already giving up what I want _most_ for you," Terry snarls at last, "Don't push it."

Edd's shoulders fall as Terry rises to stand up straight again to walk to the door.

"Where are _you_ going?" he asks, sitting up a bit.

Terry scoffs back at him as he opens the door; "I need a drink."

* * *

The rest of the day is spent in broken conversation and a fumbling to pass the time. Terry still finds himself reluctant to spend any of said time just _talking,_ however, he's got fuck all to do out in the park today (as far as he's aware, at least. Mike hasn't called him so, he can only assume), and there aren't really any errands to run, so it's not like there's a whole lot else he _can_ do. Well, there's one thing — one thing he very much _wants_ to do — but with their agreement in place, that option is off the table. As such, and with no other escape, he takes frequent breaks to step out of the bedroom for whatever reason he can manage to think up. Whether that be cleaning up the mess in the bathroom, making them both lunch, or heading to the kitchen for a bottle of beer, he tries to spend as much time outside of the bedroom as possible.

It has the unfortunate side-effect, however, of making time drag on for-fucking-ever. He doesn't know how to pass the time with Edd anymore. Granted, he didn't really have much of an idea past sex before, but now that he's not locking him up in the bathroom, and since he doesn't have reason to leave for long periods of time, he succumbs to boredom unbelievably fast. Edd's not much better. He seems to be more used to the boredom than Terry is — he _did_ spend several days locked up in a bathroom with nothing do do, after all — but he's still struggling to actually pass the time productively. His solution is to ask Terry questions, but they don't go too in-depth. More simple queries about personal interests and vague details about his life rather than his childhood.

"So…what's it like working in an amusement park…?"

Terry squints at him a little. He's about four beers in at this point and his senses are dulled from boredom, leaving him a little confused by the question.

"What d'ya mean?" he asks with a mild slur.

"I'm just…curious…" Edd shrugs back, "That _is_ your job, right? That horrible fair food you make me eat, the rides and tents outside…Am I correct in my assumptions?"

Rolling his eyes, Terry struggles to sit up on his elbow.

"Yeah, I work in an amusement park," he admits, "What about it?"

"Do you enjoy it?" Edd turns to him a little more, the sweater shifting again on his shoulders.

It isn't nearly as pretty on Edd as Terry thought his jersey was. It's still big on him and, despite his efforts, it exposes his neck and shoulders and lets him see the collar he's yet to entertain the idea of removing, but it's bulkier and does nothing for the figure beneath. The colors are ugly reds and greens for Christmas, and though the stitching is excellent — if there's one thing his mother could make well, it _was_ a quality sweater — the mixing of colors in the yarn is goddamn hideous. Damn if he doesn't want to rip it off of the scrawny body. He _is_ still wearing the jersey under it, after all. He just claimed to want a little extra warmth. The pajama pants are way too big for him, but he's managed to make it work. Tying the drawstring as tight as he can, he's got them secure and he's rolled up the pant legs to just about where the knee should be. It's both an adorable sight and one Terry can't fucking stand.

With a grimace, he grabs his bottle and takes another swig.

"Yeah," he grumbles, "I heard the question, but what exactly d'you mean by that? Why do you wanna know?"

"I'm just curious," Edd asks, deciding to elaborate, "There were a number of times when Eddy tried to use carnival attractions for his scams. They typically failed miserably, but he was very excited to try them. I assume he probably got the ideas from you…" He smiles a little. "Sometimes, they were fun, but we didn't get to implement them before…well…unexpected complications arose unrelated to the scam itself." He pauses, shaking his head. "My apologies, I'm afraid I got off topic. I was just wondering if you like what you do for a living? Why did you take this job in the first place?"

Terry shrugs; "It was available, and I didn't need a lot of experience. But yeah, I guess I like it? I get free food during my shifts, I got my own place in the park where the rent is cheap as hell, and I can fuck off most days and do pretty much whatever I want."

"What _do_ you do? What exactly is your occupation?"

"Pretty much anything," Terry answers, counting off on his fingers, "Runnin' the rides, movin' stock when it comes in, maintenance…Whatever they need me to do; I do it."

"I see…"

Edd goes quiet after that, idly picking at the pilling on the sweater. After a moment, he licks his lips and glances up at Terry again.

"Have you…" he pauses, his eyes shifting down to the mattress, darting about, and then returning to Terry's face, "Have you…done this before?"

"Done what?" Terry asks, his brow cocked.

"Done… _this,_ " Edd emphasizes, holding his arms out and gesturing to the foam walls, "If you work in an amusement park, then that means you engage with children on a regular basis. Surely I'm not the first child you've done this to?"

"Oh," Terry scoffs, "Yeah, you are."

"What?!"

"I fuckin' hate kids," Terry grumbles, "The one and only bad thing about _you_ is that you're too young."

"But then…why _do_ this?" Edd's shoulders fall, "Why abduct me from the life I was comfortable with when you hate that completely unchangeable aspect about me?"

"Cuz I wanted to," Terry leans over to reach into the cabinet of the bedside table, "Cuz Pipsqueak wouldn't stop shoving those pictures in my face. I couldn't take it anymore. So I came to get you."

"But…" Edd sighs, obviously struggling to understand, "It doesn't make sense…Why would you take such a heavy risk just…for me? A child you can barely tolerate. What made the risk so worthwhile to you?"

Shit…As Terry retrieves a couple of the photos to look at, he grimaces a little. It's a decent question and, frankly, one he's not wholly sure of the answer to. What the hell is he supposed to say? That some fantasy version of Edd got into his ear and coerced him to do what he'd been considering for almost a full year? That he just gave into his desires and orchestrated this elaborate scheme that is falling apart more and more every day? That even though he doesn't know what the fuck he's doing, it all feels worth it for the possibility of waking up every morning beside someone he wants more than goddamn anything else in the world?

Taking a breath, he glances back at him, but doesn't turn to him fully.

"It just was…" he mumbles, "Having you here is worth it. Why does there have to be some bigger meaning?"

Edd pouts at him; "Because I'm just a child…and you've completely uprooted me from my life just because you wanted to." He crosses his arms over his chest. "I really _am_ nothing more to you than an object…"

"I didn't say that," Terry groans, setting the pictures aside, "I did this for _you_ too."

"For _me?!_ " Edd guffaws, "I was _happy_ back home! Even if none of it was real, I was _happy_. And in one fell swoop, you took that all away for no reason! My family, my friends, my education. It's all…gone. My life is _ruined._ How could _any_ of that have been for my benefit?"

"Because it _wasn't_ real," Terry snaps back, standing from the bed and turning to him, "Those fuckers were using you. Those so-called friends only kept you around cuz you were smart. Your _parents_ only kept you around because you could do all the shit they didn't want to. No one in that goddamn neighborhood cared about you at all."

"But _you_ do?" Edd guesses incredulously, " _You_ who beat me and abused me and humiliated me? Mother and father never treated me this way. Ed and Eddy never treated me this way. I was plenty humiliated by the other children in my neighborhood, but never the way _you_ have chosen to humiliate me. I used to get beaten up by them, but never like what _you've_ done."

"You gave me no choice," Terry retorts, pointing at him, " _You_ tried to leave me. I had to make sure you wouldn't do that again."

"Yes, how dare I try to return to my friends and family?" Edd huffs, "How dare I so much as dislike the vile things you've forced me to do?"

"Why are you so damn intent on _fighting me?!_ " Terry demands, "We were having a normal fucking conversation like you _wanted,_ why do you wanna fight with me so damn bad?!"

"I don't!" Edd argues, "I just want _answers._ " He sighs, his entire posture deflating. "But you don't have any…You hate talking to me because you can't give me the answers I want. You don't want a…" He gags a little. "a 'lover' like you claim. You want a toy."

"Stop saying that!" Terry commands, raising his hands to dig his fingers into his scalp, "Just cuz I don't like _this_ kinda conversation doesn't mean I don't want to talk at _all!_ "

"You could've fooled me," Edd shrugs, "You've been guzzling down that foul beverage you're so fond of since breakfast."

"I'm not _used_ to sitting around doing 'nothing' like this," Terry explains, "I pass my time by doing fuck all — watching tv or jerking off. And I _could_ be fucking you right now to pass the time, but I fucking _can't._ "

"What an inconvenience…" Edd mumbles, "I'd know _nothing_ about succumbing to boredom, would I?"

Terry sighs heavily, rubbing his face. He's losing his buzz, and fast. Moreover, the conversation is getting away from him again. He's gotta reroute this. Taking a deep breath to compose himself, he reclines on the bed again.

"I don't want to fight," he states wearily, "I brought you here because I wanted to. Cuz I hated seeing them take you for granted. I wanted to give you what they weren't."

Edd doesn't respond immediately, but Terry doesn't look to him. He's still trying his hardest to calm down again.

"Did you even stop to consider what _I_ wanted?" Edd asks softly.

Moving his hands away from his face, Terry finally glances in Edd's direction. He's looking down at the bed, his brow furrowed.

"You did all this because it's what _you_ wanted," he continues, "But you never stopped to consider how it would actually affect _me_ or what _I_ wanted." He casts a shy glimpse in Terry's direction. "How can you claim to care about me when you never take _my_ wants or needs into account?"

Terry stares at him, soaking that in. Dammit…he's caught again…Sitting up, he shifts his gaze to the floor. He's not sure what to do about this. How can he possibly respond to that? How can he regain control of this situation? Shit…He's just gotta take it, doesn't he? He's gotta suck it up and deal with his distaste for these conversations. What the hell else can he do? Being cruel stopped working a while ago ( _or did it ever?_ ) and even if it hadn't, he's not sure he has the fuckin' strength to smack him around anymore. He's just so goddamn tired of it. And hell, as long as he keeps him locked up in the bedroom or bathroom, he shouldn't be able to get out again. Fuck it.

"Okay, Princess," he sighs, "You win. I'll start takin' this a little more seriously, I guess…"

"Somehow I doubt that…" Edd mumbles back, hunching his shoulders.

"Alright, alright," Terry groans, "I get it…Why don't you start? You've been asking me questions up till now. Why don't you tell me more about yourself?"

"I thought you knew 'enough'…"

"Quit with the attitude, sweetheart," Terry snarls back, "You said it yourself that everythin' I know, I heard from Pipsqueak. So why don'tcha tell me shit that _he_ wouldn't have?"

Edd gives him an uncertain look, fidgeting with the blanket and avoiding eye contact. Whatever he's thinking about, it's taking a lot of time to come to some sort of conclusion for it. After thinking it over, however, he returns his attention to Terry, taking a steady breath.

"Okay…" he agrees, "Where do I start…?"

From the beginning, as it turns out. _Makes sense._ Beginning with his life before moving to Peach Creek, Edd provides him with a vague exposition about what things were like then. Nothing spectacular. He was in a different school in a different neighborhood. Then he moved to Peach Creek and met Ed and Eddy. He guesses that he had been around two or three years old, but admits that a lot of the information he has was provided to him by his parents and that his own memories are a bit fuzzy. The only clear memory he claims to have from such an early age is of meeting Ed and Eddy.

Then, something-something-something — learning about scams. Something-something-something —going to school with Ed and Eddy. Ed this, Eddy that. Yeah, Terry stops listening too closely around that point. Stories about his brother don't hold his interest too well. However, he never interrupts Edd or stops him. Why the hell would he? It's what Edd seems to want. And besides, he's pretty as hell when he talks. Especially when he's going on about shit he likes. Smiling ear to ear and his eyes alight with nostalgia. Every now and then, his cheeks tint that familiar, gentle pink and he never once remembers to cover the gap in his teeth, even when he's giggling. Fuck, Terry didn't realize how much he's been missing the fuck out of such an expression till right now. That's the kind of look he wants to see directed at him — _because_ of him. That bright, happy look filled with affection and sweetness.

 _That's the goal_ , he reminds himself, _To make him feel_ _ **that**_ _when he looks at me._

Sitting up, he eases himself a little closer, moving slow until he's close enough that he _could_ pull Edd into his lap if he wanted to. The movement has stopped Edd for a moment and he gives Terry a quick once over before shyly continuing, picking up on a story about a group of sisters who moved into the trailer park. It brings a satisfied grin to Terry's face. It's not much, but Edd's letting him be close. Maybe he'll be able to touch him before long without Edd squirming?

But Edd doesn't hold the conversation for much longer after that. Perhaps it's because he can feel the rage radiating off of Terry during his story about how the three girls from the trailer park stole his first kiss that so rightfully should've been Terry's. Instead, he decides it might be best to change the subject.

"What about you?" he asks, brushing his hair behind his ear, "Is there anything you can tell me about yourself?"

Terry shrugs; "Not sure what you wanna know?"

"Well…" Edd bows his head, pausing to think for a moment, "might you have any entertaining stories from your occupation?"

Terry hums thoughtfully; "Not really…Most of the days are boring as hell."

"Oh…" Edd pouts a little, "Well…is there any particular music you enjoy?"

"Eh…Nothing you'd like," Terry replies, "A lot of heavy metal and hard rock. Oh and Nana Mouskouri. You might actually like her."

"Ah yes…" Edd agrees, "I recall seeing a poster with that name in your bedroom. Who is she?"

"A Greek singer who does a lot of easy listenin', Greek folk — shit like that," Terry answers.

"Really?" Edd furrows his brow as he looks him over, "That sounds…nice? It's not what I'd expect _you_ to leisurely enjoy."

"I haven't listened to her in awhile," Terry admits, "But I remember her music being relaxing as fuck. I'm pretty sure I have some of her albums around here somewhere. Maybe I'll play them for you sometime."

Edd's shoulders droop; "Provided that I don't enrage you again…?"

"Provided that I can _find it,_ " Terry corrects, "I'll let you listen to it."

"Oh…" Edd blushes a little as he bows his head, "Thank you…"

"Don't worry about it, Princess…"

Edd grimaces a little at the name, but otherwise doesn't complain about it again. Instead, he glances back up at Terry.

"You also had a harp in your bedroom…" Edd comments, "Why is that?"

"So I could play it?" Terry replies, giving him a quizzical look.

" _Y-You_ know how to play the _harp?!_ " Edd gawks, "H-How?! What made you want to learn?"

Terry shrugs; "I dunno. I think it was just another way to stick it to my old man. He couldn't stand girly shit like that in the house and he blew a goddamn fuse when I told him and my mom that I wanted to play the harp."

"Oh, so you don't 'really' know how to play?"

"Sure I do," Terry answers, "I didn't just get the instrument. I found music books n' taught myself the scales and all that shit (since my folks wouldn't pay for lessons). I can play you the prettiest shit you ever heard."

Edd doesn't answer that. He stutters a bit, looking confused.

"I never would've guessed…" he mumbles after a moment, "I'm sorry, but I just…can't believe that someone like yourself would have the _patience_ for such a lovely instrument."

"Well, believe it, Princess," Terry sighs back, "If I still had my harp, I'd show ya, but I ain't goin' back to my folks' place anytime soon to get it. You'll just have to take my word for it."

Edd looks at him carefully.

"Would…" he shifts his position a little, "Would you ever consider…teaching me?"

"What?"

Edd blushes; "I…I just…I've always admired music like that. It's so lovely. But I've never had the opportunity to learn how to play anything like it. If you're so intent on keeping me here…would you ever consider at least letting me spend my time productively by learning a new instrument?"

Terry sighs, rubbing his forehead; "Like I said: I ain't going back home any time soon, but maybe I can head back after a month or so to pick it up. I just need to give myself a fucking break from those people for a while. Can you wait till then?"

His shoulders fall in disappointment, but, after a moment of consideration, Edd responds with a quiet nod.

"You played somethin' back home, didn't you?" Terry asks, trying to shift attention away from the notion of another home visit, "Some stringed, keyboard-lookin' thing?"

"A pedal steel guitar…" Edd corrects reluctantly.

"Yeah," Terry grins a bit, resting his elbow on his knee and his chin in his hand, "You _hated_ that thing, right?"

"Yes. I did."

"Why?"

"Because it was annoying!" Edd whines, "The 'music' it played always sounded so wretched."

"Pipsqueak said you were a master at it."

Edd scoffs, crossing his arms over his chest; "Eddy was just rubbing salt in the wound and trying to manipulate me into liking it. He knew how much I _hated_ that instrument, but he would look for reasons to make me play it."

"So you couldn't play it at all?"

"Whuh…N-No," Edd stutters back, blushing a little as he unfurls his arms to fold his hands in his lap, "I…I _was_ actually very adept with it. I just…hated it. And Eddy knew that, but he always insisted I play it for some of our scams."

"Figures he wouldn't care about how _you_ felt," Terry retorts, "I'd _never_ ask you to play that thing again."

Edd bows his head, turning away a little; "No, but you've asked me to do worse…"

"Hey…" Terry coos, finally placing his arms around Edd's waist, "Gimme a break, Princess. At least the things _I_ want you to do are out of affection. Cuz I wanna be as close to you as possible. And I ain't makin' you do those things _now,_ right?"

Squirming, Edd whines a bit; "I suppose not. But it still doesn't change the fact that you have also disregarded my feelings…"

"I know…" Terry fights the urge to roll his eyes as he nuzzles Edd's temple, "And I'm sorry. I'm gonna do what I can to make it up to you. So can ya please stop throwin' that at me for now?"

Edd sighs softly in return before giving a weary shrug. Terry watches him carefully, slightly unnerved by this sudden change. A few days ago, he would never have been able to get this close. He would have never been able to have this calm discussion. Yeah, they talked for a bit, but there was still hostility in Edd at the time. He was ready to run the second he got a chance (if he weren't feeling so sick, that is). Now, he's not only docile, but also sluggish and unresponsive. The open conversation does seem to help, but it's all still slightly suspicious. He'll have to be on his toes for a while…

Exhaling slowly, he sits up a little, releasing Edd from his embrace.

"It's gotten kinda late," he begins, "You want some dinner? We can have more leftovers?"

Glancing up at him, Edd shrugs a little, giving a somber nod. Terry fights back the grimace as he eases Edd away from him to rise from the bed. He leans in to place a quick kiss to Edd's lips before grabbing his keys and leaving the room, locking up behind him. As he trudges to the kitchen, only mildly surprised by the darkness outside, he reluctantly realizes that, though this method seems to be working, it's going to be a much slower process than before. Or, at the very least, it's going to _feel_ slower than before. And, even then, the possibility of failure is still looming over his head.

 _Terry?_

"Stop," Terry demands, gritting his teeth, "I don't want to talk about this. Not now. Not with…myself."

There's a silence as he opens the refrigerator to retrieve the containers of food. They've made it through most of the leftovers. It might get them through lunch or dinner tomorrow, but definitely not both. Oh well, he's sure he has other shit he can make for them. As he turns to the counter, he spots his little phantom standing behind him, looking thoughtful and ready to speak up.

"Go away," Terry demands, glaring at him as he begins fixing up a couple of plates.

 _Are you sure you know what you're doing?_

"What's that supposed to mean?" Terry snaps back, "Of _course_ I do!"

 _Are you_ _ **sure?**_ _Do you really think this is going to work?_

Terry grits his teeth. As he heats up both plates one by one, choosing not to answer, he does wonder about that. He _is,_ isn't he? He knows it'll work…Doesn't he?

The microwave _dings_ and he removes the second plate, turning back to the figure. He's still 'waiting for an answer'. He grimaces.

"No," he admits, "As far as I can tell, this ain't gonna do shit. He'll still try and run…"

 _So why try this?_

"Because I've tried _everything,_ " Terry sighs, "I've tried fucking him to _make_ him like it, but he still tries to leave me. I've tried beating him to punish him and scare him away from running, but he still tries to leave. I've tried letting my guard down and be nice, but he still tries to run. This…giving in to little things, but keepin' my guard up…This is all I got left."

 _Then why do this?_

"Cuz…I _think_ it's working…" Terry murmurs, "It might make him work with me. I've gotta stick with it."

He begins walking back to the bedroom, plates and water in hand.

 _And if it doesn't?_

Terry stops, thinking carefully about that possibility, but then keeps walking, ignoring the question entirely.


	32. Ch 31 - Make Your Bro Boil

The next day, Terry gets a call from Mike.

"Seriously?" Terry scoffs into the receiver, "Can't you get anybody else?"

" _We already_ _ **got**_ _everybody else,_ " Mike retorts, " _I need all hands for this cuz we gotta work on_ _ **all**_ _the rides._ "

"Jesus, what are we doin'?" Terry snaps.

" _It's just routine maintenance, ya big baby,_ " Mike groans back, " _We haven't touched the rides in a few days and we've gotten more snow. We just gotta make sure they're still operational n' shit._ "

Terry shoots a glance down the hall, his brow furrowed before he turns back to lean against the counter.

"I…kinda had plans today…" he mumbles, "It's important."

" _What's so damn important?_ " Mike guffaws, " _Knowin'_ _ **you,**_ _you'll just be fuckin' around, drinkin' n' tuggin' it all damn day. Now, listen here; I've been givin' you a shit ton of slack lately. And after that stunt you pulled last week, I got you on beck n' call. Now, I suggest you drag your fat ass out here and get to work. And if I_ _ **don't**_ _see you out here in an hour, I'm comin' in to get you_ _ **and**_ _I'm dockin' your pay._ "

Before Terry can reply, the line _clicks_ and goes dead. The disconnection tone rings aggressively in his ear before he begrudgingly hangs up the phone. _Goddammit…_

Reluctantly, he returns to the bedroom, feeling more irritable than usual. Sure, this provides him an excuse to get out of the trailer for a bit, but now that he's got Edd actually _wanting_ to spend time with him, he almost doesn't want to leave even if it _does_ mean suffering through tiring conversations.

When he walks into the room, Edd's sitting on the bed, carefully picking out the tangles in his hair with the comb Terry had given him. Closing the door behind him, Terry approaches the dresser.

"Bad news, darlin'," he states with a sigh as he opens up one of the drawers, "I gotta head out for a bit."

There's a short pause before Edd asks meekly; "Why?"

"Got a call from my boss," Terry replies, retrieving a fresh pair of pants and a clean jersey, "I don't think it'll be too long. Just some general maintenance."

"What am _I_ supposed to do?"

"Well, unfortunately, I dunno how long I'll be out," Terry explains, bringing the clothes over to the bed to lay them out, "So I'm gonna give you a choice. I can either take you to the bathroom — where you can use the shower and the toilet and all that — or you can stay in here and hope I won't be out _too_ long."

As he begins undressing, he sees Edd deflate a bit.

"Well…" he mumbles, his head bowed, "I suppose it'd be nice to get in a nice, relaxing shower? But…can't you just let me walk around in the trailer?"

"No," Terry retorts, glaring at him as he pulls the shirt on, "I can't trust you with that. For now, it's one room."

Edd pouts, crossing his arms over his chest. As Terry pulls on his pants, he catches the disappointed look and groans a bit.

"Look," he begins, placing his hands on Edd's hips, "I know it's frustrating for you, but that's just how it's gotta be. _You're_ the one who tried to run away, so _you_ gotta suck it up for now."

Of course, Edd's not comforted in the slightest by this and averts his gaze with a grimace. With a sigh, Terry urges Edd's attention back to him.

"Alright, fine," he grumbles, "You be good for me and I'll give you a special reward."

Edd scoffs; "Oh yes, I bet you will…" He glares up at Terry. "What _kind_ of reward?" When Terry doesn't answer right away, he presses further. "You always promise that, but you rarely deliver. How do I know that this won't be the case now?"

"Well, aside from wanderin' around the trailer or going home," Terry shrugs, "What would you like?"

Furrowing his brow, Edd thinks on that carefully. He's slower to respond than usual. _Seems like he wasn't quite expecting this._ Terry decides to give him some options.

"I could get us something extra special for dinner," he offers, "Or go pick up something else for you? I still wanna get you _somethin'_ for your birthday. I could get you a toy or somethin'? Or maybe those clothes you were askin' for?"

Finally looking back to Terry, Edd swallows uncomfortably.

"Could…Could you perhaps provide me with some kind of…mental stimulation?" he asks.

Terry gives him an uncertain look; "Such as…?"

"Well…" Edd fidgets with the blanket, "I don't know…maybe some crossword puzzles or number puzzles…Something that I can apply my focus towards to pass the time?"

Terry hums thoughtfully, releasing his hips and standing straight.

"Alright," he agrees, "Once I'm finished with work, I'll head over to a nearby store and try to find you a little activity book."

Edd's cheeks burn in embarrassment; "P-Please don't refer to it as such. That makes it sound so…infantile."

Terry rolls his eyes; "Right. Anyway, if you'll stay in the bathroom while I'm gone and not give me attitude when I get home, I'll give you the book."

Edd takes a deep breath before giving a nod.

"Okay," he agrees, "You… _really_ promise?"

"I swear, Princess," Terry grumbles, "Now, c'mon. I gotta get goin' or my boss'll have my ass. Do you want anything to eat? I probably have enough time to at least make you some soup or somethin'?"

"No, thank you," Edd replies, "But perhaps I could have the box of Chunky Puffs to snack on?"

"Sure," Terry shrugs, helping Edd to his feet, "Whatever you want…"

With little else said, Terry escorts Edd to the bathroom. His cooperation has Terry heavily on edge. As he leaves and returns with the box of cereal, he half expects Edd to race past him in a desperate bid for freedom. But, though he braces himself for such, he finds Edd gathering some towels and placing them on the ground near the tub.

Setting the box of cereal against the wall near the sink, Terry shuts the door behind him and takes a step towards Edd, who stops what he's doing to glance up at him. Taking a breath, Terry gently cups Edd's cheeks to hold him still. He gazes into those gorgeous green eyes, searching for the deceit that he expects to find. Instead, Edd merely returns his look with one of confusion, his brow furrowed.

Satisfied, Terry leans down to kiss him, making him gasp softly in surprise. As he closes his eyes to enjoy the sensation, he feels Edd's little hands against his wrists, but he doesn't push him away. Fucking heaven…Everything else fades away. All that matters right now is Edd's lips upon his own. The little puffs of air against his cheek are startling but a moment as Edd seems to remember to breathe through his nose. Good thing, too. Cuz he sure as shit doesn't feel like ending this anytime soon. Fuck — he could stay like this forever.

Except…he can't.

Wincing a bit, he reluctantly pulls away to look down upon him again. Edd doesn't hold his gaze this time, instead bowing his head shyly. Taking a breath to steel himself, Terry pushes himself away to stand straight.

"Be good," he warns, turning away and skulking back out of the room.

He offers Edd one last, longing look before closing the door and locking up.

* * *

As Mike described, the maintenance work is pretty routine. Cleaning off the snow from the rides and control panels, giving them a test run to make sure everything's working properly, and fixing any problems that might arise. The latter doesn't crop up nearly as much, thank goodness, and even when it does, it's never on the rides Terry's working on at the time. (That means he doesn't have to fuckin' deal with it.) He doesn't bother talking to anyone, though that doesn't stop Mike from giving him shit when he wanders by every now and then to check on everyone's progress.

"So what was it that was so damn important?" he asks, leaning against the control box.

Terry fights the urge to glare at him.

"None of your business," he grumbles back.

"That sounds an awful lot like insubordination," Mike notes smugly.

With a sigh, Terry looks up from the gears he's been carefully oiling to give Mike his full attention.

"It's personal," he replies, "And me not telling you about personal shit is _not_ 'insubordination'. Besides…" He turns back to the console, "I'm here, ain't I? So it doesn't matter anyway…"

To his surprise, Mike seems to accept that answer and he instead changes the subject to ask about the maintenance procedures. And that's the end of that. Well, of the conversation, at least.

Mike's question drew his thoughts back to Edd, providing a frustrating distraction after the boss-man leaves. By now, Edd's probably gotten the shower he wanted. He's probably still dripping wet. Terry can so clearly picture each tantalizing water droplet sprinkling the pale, bruised skin. It makes his throat feel as dry as the goddamn Sahara as he feels a sudden yearning to lap up those drops right off of Edd's flesh. He imagines that slippery skin, chilled slightly from the low temperature within the bathroom. Fuck…how bad he wants to warm him up himself. How bad he wants to drop everything and race back to the trailer to do just that.

Gritting his teeth, he sets the oil can aside to then dig his nails into his palm and into his thigh in an effort to ebb his arousal before it can become a problem. He banishes the thoughts from his mind with great difficulty, trying to think about _anything_ else. When he finally calms himself back down, he returns his attention to the ride, praying that they'll be done with all this shit soon.

Unfortunately, it's well after noon by the time they finish up. Thank fucking god. He feels like he's going fucking crazy…Retreating to his trailer, however, he stops before he can open the door. Shit…he's gotta run and get that book for Edd…With a sigh, he checks his pocket for his car keys before trudging away to where he'd parked his van. At least his coworkers don't feel like bothering him right now. _Thank God for small miracles…_

As he pulls away from the park, he heads straight for the grocery store. They always have those little activity — _er…'puzzle'_ — books in the queuing line and magazine racks and he can pick up some pencils n' shit down the stationary aisle. Shouldn't take but a minute. And, as expected, he's able to get in and out pretty quick. He gets a small pack of pencils and a sharpener and then heads for the queuing line, where he finds the magazine racks. Tearing his eyes away from the more 'titillating' covers, he scans the various puzzle books and grabs one for crosswords and one for 'sudokus' ( _whatever the fuck_ _ **that**_ _is…_ ). He considers grabbing some of the word searches too, but he has a feeling Edd would be insulted by something so easy. As he turns to pay, however, he also notices a book of word jumbles and decides that it might also provide at least something of a challenge as well and adds it to the purchase. _At least it's not too expensive_.

After paying, he leaves the store, deciding in that moment to also stop to pick up lunch. He gets himself a burger with the works and some chicken nuggets for Edd — _kids like those, right?_ — along with a side salad. He doesn't intend to buy the ingredients for salads right now and he knows he doesn't have it at home, but maybe Edd will still like the pre-made stuff?

Back to the trailer, he slips inside and locks up heavily behind him. Mike shouldn't need him again today — god willing — but he'd rather not take any chances if he decides to stop by. Fighting back the intense desire that's welling in him with each step towards the bathroom, he goes to retrieve Edd. Holding his breath, he finds him to be napping on the floor. His hair is damp, but he's fully clothed, indicating that he _had_ gotten his shower well out of the way. _Must've gotten bored after that…_ He clears his throat, hoping that might be enough to rouse him. Edd moans softly, shifting slightly in his slumber, but he doesn't wake.

Shutting the door behind him, Terry sets the bags aside and approaches Edd, licking his lips as he kneels down over the sleeping boy. Tilting Edd's chin up towards him, Terry leans in to place a gentle kiss to Edd's lips. He hears him whine a bit as he's finally pulled to consciousness, but he ignores it. _I've earned a little reward of my own._ Terry doesn't get to enjoy the kiss long, however, before Edd pushes him away, groaning in disgust.

"Please," he grumbles, "refrain from doing things like that while I'm sleeping."

"Why?" Terry smirks, "Afraid you'll start to like it?"

Edd glares up at him; "I'm _afraid_ you'll take advantage of my unconscious state and do _worse._ "

Terry rolls his eyes; "I told you I wouldn't. I even promised."

Looking away, Edd hunches his shoulders; "Ah yes. Forgive me for assuming that someone who abused me both physically and emotionally might _lie_ about that…"

The sarcasm in his voice incenses Terry and he considers giving him a sharp smack — he can't let him keep getting away with shit like that, can he? However, he decides to let it go for now. He's tired from work and hungry as fuck. Fighting and smacking Edd around is a waste of time right now. All he really wants to do is get a bite to eat and maybe get in some cuddling with his little Princess. Maybe the next time it comes up…? Ooh…wait! He _does_ have some leverage…Maybe he can use that to adjust this behavior in a different way and still get some tenderness out of this?

"I see," he tuts, pushing himself up, "Well, if you're gonna be that way, maybe I won't give you your little present?"

Edd glances up at him, startled; "Present?" He sits up. "Y-You actually got what I wanted?"

"Sure I did," Terry retorts, grabbing the bags, "But if you're gonna be giving me sass like that, then maybe you don't deserve it."

Bolting upright, Edd scrambles to his knees; "B-But you said—"

"I _said,_ don't give me attitude when I get home," Terry asserts, "But you just can't help yourself, can ya? So why should I give you a reward when you couldn't do what I asked of you?"

Edd bows his head, his brow furrowed as he struggles to find an answer.

"Are you going to leave me in here again?" he asks softly.

"Maybe," Terry replies, "You're sure as shit not getting what you asked for. But maybe you should also stay in here even longer to really let the message sink in?"

With a sigh, Edd whimpers and his shoulders fall in disappointment.

"Unless…" That gets his attention again. "You apologize. Say your sorry for being so cold and _show me_ you're sorry, and we'll go back to the bedroom where I'll give you your present."

He waits with bated breath for Edd to respond. It feels like a goddamn eternity as his expression scrunches in displeasure. As he sits up a bit straighter, he refuses to look at Terry.

"I…I'm sorry…" he mumbles.

"Sorry for what?"

Another sigh; "I'm sorry for what I said…" He finally turns his gaze up at the man. "May I _please_ go back to the bedroom?"

Smirking, Terry steps towards him; "Maybe. Stand up."

Gulping a bit, Edd shakily rises to his feet and stands before Terry. His head is sunk low, but he maintains hesitant eye-contact and his shoulders are hunched to make himself look smaller than he already is. Shivering and rubbing his arms up and down, he waits for his next order.

"Good," Terry purrs, bending forward a bit so that he can be at closer eye-level with him, "Now, give me a kiss to make up for the one you interrupted."

Edd blanches at the very notion and wings his hands together uneasily. He makes strained noises as he fights with himself to just get on with it, keeping his head bowed and mumbling about the unfairness of the situation. When he finally turns back to Terry, his face is a deep red and his jaw is clenched. After a calming breath, he screws his eyes shut and leans up to press his lips against Terry's own. Satisfied, Terry places his hands on either side of Edd's head, holding him in place so he can better enjoy the sensation of Edd's lips upon his own. _Fuck, does it feel good…_

But he doesn't keep him there long. He's still hungry, after all, and making out in the bathroom isn't totally ideal. Before pulling away, he flicks his tongue across Edd's lips, making him recoil a bit once he's released. Standing straight, Terry grabs Edd's wrist and ushers him along and out of the bathroom. As he opens the door to the bedroom, he feels Edd fidgeting slightly, but never trying to free himself.

" _Did you get food as well…?_ " he hears the sudden mumble.

Gritting his teeth, he turns away from the door as it swings open to glare down at Edd, who shrinks in on himself in fear. With a low growl, Terry shoves Edd into the room and follows after. Once he's ensured that the door is securely locked, he rounds on Edd.

"What the fuck have I told you about talking outside of this room or the bathroom?!" he demands.

"I-I'm _sorry!_ " Edd whimpers back, shuffling away a little, but staying close to the bed, "I-I didn't raise my voice! I-I was just…asking!"

"You _do not_ talk in that hallway!" Terry orders angrily, "I don't _care_ how quiet you were!"

"I-I'm sorry…" Edd's started crying, "I-I won't do it again…"

As Edd covers his face to cry more, Terry clenches his fist. What the fuck should he do? Should he hit him? He could've compromised the situation by speaking back there. Isn't that grounds for punishment? But then again…he _was_ quiet about it when he spoke and his shivering and sobbing are pretty clear indicators that he's remorseful. Taking a breath, he grabs Edd's arm and jerks him forward making Edd look up from his weeping.

"You're lucky I'm more hungry than angry," he warns, "If you _ever_ do that again, you can expect a helluva lot worse outta me than just _yellin'_ at you. You got that? You think what I did to you last week was bad? I'll make you _wish_ I was that gentle."

Edd nods at him, sniffling and whimpering.

"Good."

With that, Terry releases him, leaving him to sob softly to himself as he cowers against the side of the bed. For a moment, Terry busies himself with setting the bag of food and books aside and kicking off his shoes. When he looks back to Edd, he finds him still quivering, still clearly shaken by the sudden hostility. Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Terry turns to him fully.

"C'mon, Princess," he says, keeping his voice low and calm, "Ain't ya hungry?"

Edd peeks up at him, his brow furrowed. After thinking it over for a moment, he swallows nervously and pulls himself up to his feet. Terry nods his head towards the bed, silently directing Edd to sit down, which he does. Terry sits down next to him and spots him eyeing the bag with his books.

"Nuh uh," he nearly growls, "Eat first. Then you can play with your new toys."

He nearly gags as his tone reminds him of his old man. This whole caretaker role is starting to piss him off. The last thing he ever wanted was to become a parent in any sense of the word. Yet, here he is, setting boundaries the same way a father would. It makes him sick to think of it. Edd's not supposed to be his 'kid'. He didn't bring Edd here to be his kid. He brought Edd here to be his lover and that's it. Anything less than that is fucking unacceptable!

But…

Edd's listening to him more like this. Edd's obeying him more and cooperating with him. It's frustrating and unpleasant, but surely this parental relationship will fucking _pass,_ right?

He removes his burger and sets it aside, then grabs Edd's chicken to hand it to him, along with the fries. Edd's posture visibly deflates.

"More fast food…?" he mumbles, almost too soft for Terry to hear.

"Don't worry, _Princess,_ " Terry grumbles, reaching back into the bag (and catching the terrified look on Edd's face as he realizes his comment was heard), "I got ya somethin' to go with it."

With that, he removes the salad and plastic fork packet, handing them to a very startled Edd.

"Y…You got me…a salad?" Edd stutters, his eyes wide as saucers.

"Well yeah," Terry shrugs back, "Figured you'd like that. Do you not want it?"

"N-No!" Edd replies swiftly, "I-I mean. Yes…I-I mean! I-I _do_ want it! I was just…surprised…" His cheeks flush a light pink. "Th…Thank you…"

"Yeah yeah…" Terry picks up his burger and removes the wrapper to take a bite.

He's in no mood to talk or even really look at Edd right now. God does he just want to get _off!_ Getting in a quick round of sex would elevate his mood like _nothing else._ But no. He's gotta hold off to make the little princess happy. _He better fucking come around soon, though…_ He's not sure how long he'll _actually_ be able to maintain his composure and prevent himself from jumping the boy. So, for now, just ignoring him is proving to be the best strategy.

Or at least it would be, if Edd wasn't fidgeting beside him.

"What is it?" he nearly snaps.

Back to fidgeting a moment before Edd speaks again, his voice quivering and soft.

"H-How was work…?"

Terry stops mid-bite when the question hits him. It's obviously not something he ever expected out of Edd, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't fuckin' delighted by it. Sure, Edd might just be trying to kill the silence with a tentative conversation, but it doesn't change the fact that it sounded positively domestic — like a loving wife asking how her hard-working husband's day was. His mouth feels dry again and he digs his nails into the palm of his free hand to sway the arousal building from the very notion of Edd behaving like a doting little wife. Sitting up, he hunches over a bit, focusing with all his might against how bad he wants to pin him to the goddamn bed and fuck his brains out.

After a few deep, calming breaths, he feels confident enough to actually respond.

"It was fine," he grumbles back, refusing to let himself relax, "Nothin' too complicated. Just a lot of shit to do."

"You said it was maintenance, right?" Edd asks, earning a nod in response, "Does that mean that this place is still open for business? It certainly doesn't look it."

"Kinda," Terry replies, glancing at him finally, "Park's closed for the holidays, but we're gonna open back up some time after New Year's."

Edd goes quiet for a minute after that, poking at his half-eaten salad. Shit, either he was hungrier than Terry expected, or the salad was just small enough that a few bites left only half the meal remaining. _Good thing I got the nuggets too…_

"Would you ever consider…" Edd begins, pausing for a moment as though he wants to stop before picking back up, "taking me out to the park?"

"Why the fuck would I do that?" Terry scoffs, "What makes you think you deserve that?"

Edd shrugs, his brow furrowing; "Wouldn't…Wouldn't it be a good…" He grimaces. "Date idea…?"

Now _that_ catches Terry's attention. His eyes narrow as he gazes at him.

"I see what you're doing," he nearly growls, "Nice try, Princess. Until I can be sure you won't run from me, you ain't leaving this _room,_ let alone this trailer."

Edd sighs softly, but that seems to be the end of that particular conversation for now.

Onto others…

"Are you still upset with me…?" he asks after a moment.

With a grimace, Terry raises the burger to take another bite.

"Yes."

As he chews, Edd remains silent.

"Because I spoke out of turn?"

Terry glances at him before swallowing down the bite.

"No."

Another pause — during which Terry scarfs down as much of his lunch as possible in anticipation of more questions — followed by a quiet scoff.

"Ah…" Edd mumbles, "Because I asked you to refrain from forcing those lewd acts upon me."

Terry grits his teeth, resisting the intense urge to snap at him; "Yes. That's why."

"Is it really so terrible for you?" Edd asks, setting what's left of the salad aside, "To stop doing those inappropriate things to me?"

Terry sighs, lowering the quarter remnant of the sandwich.

"I don't want to talk about this," he asserts, rubbing his forehead as he places the burger on the bedside table.

"I want to know," Edd presses, turning to him, "Why is the idea of just… _being_ so horrible to you?"

"Maybe I don't like 'just being'," Terry retorts, glaring at him out of the corner of his eye, "Maybe I don't know _how_ to 'be'." He sighs, moving on to rubbing his temples. "At least not with someone else."

"What do you mean by that?"

The question makes Terry groan in frustration. He doesn't want to keep going with this…

"What do you want me to say?" he demands, "I've spent most of my fuckin' life gettin' by — just goin' day by day and doin' whatever I can to make it through an otherwise dull existence. And sex or masturbation just so happens to be the best way I've found to pass the time and forget about all that."

Edd pouts, back at him, his brow furrowed; "You told me it was for…intimate reasons? To feel closer to someone."

"It can be both, Princess," Terry sighs, "Look, I dunno why this is suddenly so goddamn interesting to you, but I'm not in the mood to deal with it anymore. I've had a long day and all I wanna do is relax."

"B-But…"

Rather than let him finish, Terry shoves the grocery bag at him. Before anything else, he also checks to ensure his keys are securely in his pocket.

"There," he grumbles, turning away, "Play with those." He lies on his side, ignoring as best he can the jabbing of his keys against his thigh. "And don't bother me."

With that, he closes his eyes, prepared to drift off into an irritable sleep to avoid any more of Edd's frustrating questions. This isn't what he was expecting when he came home. He anticipated coming home, giving Edd his little present and receiving a little affection in return. But no. He almost wishes he could've stayed at work. At least then, he wouldn't be dealing with this bullshit. He only hopes giving Edd a bit of the cold shoulder will make him feel as shitty as he's feeling right now.


	33. Ch 32 - The Edd Will Out

As Terry returns to consciousness, he's unable to determine just how long he was napping. All he does know is that he's still in the same position as when he fell asleep in the first place: his keys are still stabbing his thigh and he's not turned off of his side. Peeking at the door, he finds it still closed and he's not bound in any way to the headboard. As he sits up and turns to Edd, he finds him scribbling in the word scramble book. The sudoku thing and the crosswords are beside him. Their covers are creased — an indication that they were opened. Did he get bored with them already?

With a groan, he picks up the sudoku book and flips through it a little. He can't make heads or tails of how to _do_ any of these, but Edd clearly could. To his shock, every puzzle until about midway through the book has been completed. Curious, he swaps the sudoku for the crosswords and flips through that. Again, most of the puzzles have been filled in up to about the midway point. _Did I get books that some little fucker tampered with?!_ But, as he looks over Edd's shoulder, he's able to match the handwriting between them.

"You've _already_ finished most of these?" he gawks, flipping through the crosswords again. He notices a few clues that reference pop culture, drawing him to arch his brow. "How did you even _know_ some of these answers?"

"I wouldn't say I 'knew' them," Edd admits, "A lot of the clues that dealt with film or television were beyond me, however, I was able to fill them in by process of elimination as I answered the other clues."

"And this…number thing?" Terry asks.

"It's a simple logic puzzle," Edd explains, "Each row and column must contain the numbers one through nine and so must each three-by-three square. However, the numbers cannot repeat within each row or column or square."

"That makes no sense…" Terry mumbles, grimacing.

"Perhaps I'm just not explaining it well," Edd shrugs, "It's not that complicated."

"Why did you stop halfway?" Terry asks, thumbing through the pages.

"I decided to give myself a little variety and save the rest for later."

Terry hums thoughtfully, setting the book aside; "How long was I out?"

Edd shrugs; "How would _I_ know? I've no way of tracking the time."

"Right…" Terry grumbles, rubbing his eyes and the bridge of his nose, "Well, I'll get you more of those books later. I didn't expect you to finish 'em so quick."

"Sorry…" Edd mumbles.

"What're _you_ sorry about?" Terry asks, grimacing at him.

"That you feel that you must waste more money on me," Edd retorts, keeping his head down, "I'm sorry to be such a burden…" He glances at him. "Is that not what you want to hear?"

Terry's eyes narrow at him; "No. As a matter of fact, it's not. Buying another one of these cheap ass books ain't a problem. Besides," He reclines against the pillows with a yawn. "I shoulda bought more anyway — it goes without saying you'd be too smart for these."

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Edd watching him. _Great, more fighting…_

"What?" he sighs softly.

He watches Edd fidget a little before turning to him a little more.

"You're acting…strange…" he mumbles after a moment, bowing his head.

"What's that s'posed to mean?" Terry scoffs back.

Edd sighs a bit, his shoulders slumping; "I don't know…You seem…detached…"

"Gee, wonder why _that_ is?" Terry nearly snarls, rolling his eyes, "Couldn't be because I can't fuck you anymore. Or that if I so much as touch you, you start squirming and whining. Couldn't be _that._ "

With a huff, Terry sits up and throws his legs off the side of the bed. He groans, rubbing his eyes and face tiredly. Maybe a drink will make him feel better? He rises to his feet, stomping out of the room. Fucking bullshit. How much fucking longer is he going to have to deal with this?!

He rips open the fridge door and retrieves a bottle of beer. Edd's comments about his drinking from earlier ring in his ears, but he bats them away as he drains the bottle in a hearty swig.

Grabbing a second bottle, he trudges back to the bedroom. As he walks in, he finds Edd to be curled up under the covers, his shoulders hunched and his body quivering. Brow cocked, Terry locks the door behind him and returns to the bed.

"Didja get bored again?" he grumbles, rolling his eyes as he sits down beside him.

Edd doesn't answer, but he curls in on himself a little more, indicating he probably heard him. With a grimace, Terry sets the beer on the bedside table and grabs the books to set them aside as well before pulling back the covers to slip under them himself. Might as well get comfortable and maybe enjoy what little tenderness he can get from Edd for now. Placing his hands on the boy's hips, he pulls himself closer and leans in to nuzzle Edd's cheek with the intent of burrowing towards his neck to add a new mark.

He stops, however, when he feels the warm, salty tears against Edd's cheek. _Shit…when did he start crying? Dammit…_ Well, clearly no amount of talking is going to actually do anything about this. Edd's made that painfully obvious with his constant roundabout conversations. So why not make him feel better _physically?_

Lowering his hand, he slips his fingers beneath the sweater and jersey and begins massaging small circles into Edd's hip. He wishes he could reach the skin hidden beneath the remaining layers of fabric, but this will do for now. After all, Edd's sure as shit not gonna let him start pulling clothes off of him any time soon…

The touch makes Edd squirm a bit, drawing Terry to lean in to kiss his jaw and cheek, working his way towards the boy's neck. As Edd continues to whine, he half expects him to start objecting. Pitiful little 'no!'s or 'stop!'s, but instead, Edd just whimpers and tenses. For a moment, Terry's suspicious and tempted to stop. Something's wrong, but…Edd's not fighting him. He's just letting him do what he wants…Terry thinks it over but a moment.

He can figure out what's wrong _after_.

Turning Edd towards him, he leans in to kiss him, gliding his tongue over the seam of Edd's lips. To his delight, Edd permits him access, parting his lips a bit and allowing Terry to slip his tongue into his mouth. With the hand not toying with Edd's hip and thigh, he cups the back of the boy's head and gently rubs the base of Edd's neck with his little finger. He begins rubbing and squeezing Edd's thigh, relishing in the tiny moans that the boy is unable to suppress.

Jesus, he'd nearly forgotten how _fucking_ _good_ this feels. He revels in how wonderfully soft and silky Edd's lips are. And the taste…! Even with the lingering essence of the fast food, it's fuckin' _heavenly._ What's more, Edd's little body is starting to relax as he seems to accept the stimulation. Fuck _yes…_ He wants _so_ much more! Eyes shut blissfully, he begins pushing the sweater and the jersey up Edd's torso to reveal the soft skin beneath.

He feels Edd shiver, but he doesn't resist. Just lies beneath him, quivering. It raises another red flag that Terry ignores. He's not gotten this far in so long! How could he be expected to stop now?!

With a small smirk, Terry rises to sit up.

"I want to feel you," he breathes, shedding the plaid overshirt, "All of you."

Edd trembles, unable to respond past tiny whimpers and meekly bringing his hands up to grasp the sweater defensively as he draws his knees inward as well. As Terry removes his clothing, Edd shyly looks away. But still, he doesn't argue or protest. Not even as Terry begins pulling off the sweater and jersey. Not even as the oversized pants and boxers are also discarded. Just closes his eyes with a wince and a sniffle as he turns his head away. Shit, guess pulling off his clothes was an easier task than he expected? But it raises another flag. Terry grimaces a bit. He _should_ be suspicious. He _should_ find this behavior concerning.

But, of course, he pretends not to notice. It's too priceless an opportunity. One he will miss out on if he dares comment on Edd's behavior. _It'd only lead to more fighting…And I need this_ _ **now.**_

As he gazes upon the bare flesh of his prize, he's overwhelmed by his lust. It's as though his breath was stolen from him the moment his eyes made contact with that perfect visage. And, as he lowers himself down over Edd's quivering form, everything else seems to fade away. All of his concerns and frustrations. All of their arguments from earlier. The very instant that skin meets blessed skin, it makes all of those problems disappear. Ignoring the disgusted groans from Edd, Terry slides his hands down over the soft, supple hips. Edd's trembling like a leaf, and as Terry presses himself more firmly against him, quelling the shivering slightly, he decides that Edd must be cold. With a grin, he pulls the covers up over them both.

"Don't worry, Princess," he coos into the boy's ear, "I'll warm you up real good."

A wince is all the response he gets as he cups the back of Edd's thigh. Squeezing and palming the soft, malleable flesh, he urges Edd to bend his knee, bringing his leg in and pressing the boy's thigh against his hip. Burying his nose in Edd's neck, Terry loses himself to the scent he'd nearly forgotten. Among his own shampoo, his cologne that has soaked into his beloved's skin, and the grease of the fast food, there's the smell that he's come to identify as simply 'Edd'. He can't describe it any other way. He just knows that it's Edd — his Princess. And that makes it the most heavenly scent in the goddamn world.

Closing his eyes, he squeezes Edd's hip and thigh before bringing one hand down to brush against Edd's genitals. For a moment, Terry hesitates. He's tempted, as he rocks slightly against Edd's body, to try and coerce his little darling into more…intense carnal delights. He's tempted, biting his lip as he feels himself harden, ready and more than a little eager to plunge into that delicious warmth. Edd's being so docile. So oddly cooperative. Surely he could get Edd to agree to sex if he can just make him feel good enough? Surely this cooperation means that Edd will agree to it?

But…

Their agreement rings in his ears. _If you can_ _'_ _t be bothered to abstain from using me to indulge in your sexual desires and express yourself to me appropriately, then you instead prove the antithesis…you care about me as little as you claim my family and friends do._ Dammit…

Okay, so he can't actually fuck him, but Edd _has_ let him get this far, and a little release might do them _both_ some good…With that in mind, he begins massaging the sensitive flesh at the base of Edd's cock. In that moment, the little nails dig into his arms and Edd stifles a cry. It also gets him squirming a bit, in particular as Terry moves to stroking the short, narrow shaft. Terry pushes himself up slightly so that he can gaze down at Edd and watch him moan and writhe. Those lovely eyes are shut tight as he seems to concentrate on silencing himself.

That simply won't do.

"Moan for me," he commands breathlessly, licking away the drool as it gathers at the corners of his lips, "Let me hear your pretty voice."

Edd groans a bit, but not out of pleasure. His face is contorted into a disgusted grimace and he turns his head away. But rather than remain silent, he opens his mouth slightly to allow the little moans and whimpers to escape. _It's enough._ Leaning back into Edd's neck, Terry focuses on finding himself a rare spot void of any bruises and sucking a new mark into his skin. He drags his tongue over the reddening flesh, adding in the occasional nibble to make the little moans grow louder. The shivering form beneath him radiates a soothing heat that he wants to lose himself in and never escape.

It's simply perfect. At least for him…Now to make it perfect for Edd.

In hopes of making Edd more comfortable, Terry carefully moves the slender legs to either side of his waist. The movement draws a tiny whimper of protest from the boy, but he doesn't try to slip away. He does, however, glance up at Terry, his brow furrowed and his eyes pleading. Breathing a sigh, Terry places a few, quick kisses to Edd's jaw.

"Don't worry, Princess," he whispers, nuzzling him some, "I won't go too far with you tonight…Just lie back and let me have a little fun."

He can feel Edd deflate a bit at that, but he doesn't argue. Just nods, his frown never changing. Terry grits his teeth a bit. He's not blind to what Edd's feeling. He doesn't want this. He's not comfortable with this. But he's not saying 'no'!

 _Perhaps you should stop._

Terry glances down at Edd, confused — did his lips even move?

"What?" he breathes.

Edd's brow furrowed; "…What?"

"What did you say?"

The confused look on Edd's face intensifies; "I…didn't say anything?"

A small sense of panic rises in Terry's chest as he glances around. Nothing. No phantom to whisper to him.

 _I really think you should stop._

Terry grimaces; _I need this…_

 _You know I'll be more upset if you keep going._

Terry glares down at Edd, making him quiver.

"I need this," he nearly growls, sitting up on his knees and hunching over Edd.

Hoisting Edd's hips up, he settles Edd into his lap. If he wanted to, he could penetrate him — plunge into that perfect warmth and envelop himself in that blinding pleasure. He could, if he so desired, start fucking him again and finally get some relief.

But he doesn't.

Instead, he aligns Edd's small, half-rigid cock with his own imposing erection and wraps his hand around them both. Edd moans a little, his fingers digging into the sheets. Terry follows suit for a moment, gripping the sheets in his fist. However, as he glances at Edd's clenching and unclenching fist, he instead grabs the tiny hand, linking their fingers together. Edd doesn't return the grasp, his hand lying limp beneath Terry's own. _Oh well._

As Terry begins pumping and stroking their cocks, he leans in kiss Edd again. Locking him down and slipping his tongue past Edd's lips. Edd's free hand feebly grabs Terry's wrist, but he quickly loses his grip as he's unable to keep up with Terry's pace. Panting heavily, Terry rests his forehead against Edd's, forcing him to keep his gaze staring straight up rather than away. Because of this, Edd instead shuts his eyes tight, gritting his teeth and grunting with each stroke of Terry's hand. It draws a grin to the man's face.

"Don't fight it," he breathes, earning himself another whimper, "You know it feels good. Why are you denying it?"

Edd doesn't answer, just keeps whimpering and groaning. Concerned, but not willing to stop, Terry uses his thumb to stroke the back of Edd's hand — a difficult feat as he tries to move the appendage between Edd's hand and the mattress. He can't tell if it makes a difference. Edd's whimpers go silent, but his shaking shoulders indicate he's still upset.

 _After, dammit. After._

Closing his eyes, he increases his efforts. Edd's whimpers grow louder into spasmed moans and his breath is hot against his face. He wants to lean in; to kiss him again as he nears that wondrous peak. But first, he needs to be sure. He needs to make sure Edd crosses that finish line with him.

And finally, he gets his wish. Edd's body goes rigid, his back arching as his nails dig into the back of Terry's hand. Though Terry hardly notices those little pinpricks as he orgasms as well. _Jesus…it's so good…_ After so long…the release is heavenly. He weakly continues stroking himself and Edd as their bodies relax. He's only just able to hold himself up long enough to calm down.

As he begins to catch his breath, he blinks his eyes open to look down at Edd again. It's now that he finally sees the tears shining on Edd's cheeks and the miserable look on his face. Sitting up, he also spots Edd's free hand lying limply by his thigh, where he'd dug his nails so deeply into his own flesh, that the tiny crescents looked close to bleeding. Brow furrowed, Terry grabs a couple of tissues to clean the mess of semen that had settled upon Edd's stomach. With his hands now free, Edd brings them up to cover his face, after which he weeps more openly.

 _I told you._

Terry grimaces, choosing to ignore that little voice as he grabs the jersey, handing it to Edd.

"Here," he mumbles, laying it over Edd's chest.

Edd peeks out from the barricade of his hands before grabbing the jersey. He clutches the fabric to his chest, as though it's the most precious item he owns, and turns on his side. He doesn't stop crying. It only gets worse as he curls up, sobbing into the shirt. Terry hesitates from speaking or even touching him. Instead, he fumbles around for his boxers and pulls them on. Maybe that'll make Edd feel better?

When he turns back to Edd, he finds that the boy's still sobbing. He hasn't even tried to dress himself yet. Grimacing uneasily, Terry settles behind him and wraps his arm around Edd's waist, pulling the covers over them both. That silences Edd instantly, but only for a moment. He goes back to sobbing almost immediately, burying his face in the neck of the jersey.

"Hey…" Terry breathes, nuzzling his cheek, "What's wrong? It wasn't _that_ bad for you, was it?"

Edd shakes his head, mumbling into the fabric. Terry can just barely make out him sobbing 'Filthy! Filthy! Filthy!' _That again?_ Oh well.

"Is that all?" Terry nearly scoffs, "You want a bath?"

Again, Edd shakes his head. _That's_ different…Sitting up, Terry begins stroking Edd's upper arm.

"You keep saying 'filthy'," he notes, "Doesn't that mean you feel like you need a bath or something?"

By this point, Edd's breathless as he weeps, hiccuping and whining.

"I-I'm…f-filthy…" he cries, "I…I'm filthy because I…I…" His voice drops to a strained whisper as he covers his mouth. "Enjoyed…that."

Terry can't fight the smirk that answer gives him. He leans in to kiss Edd's cheek and temple.

"Is that all?" he chuckles, "C'mon, Princess. There's nothin' wrong with that. I _wanted_ you to like it. I wanna make you feel good."

Edd sniffles, trying to wipe away the tears. _Dammit…_

"If you're this upset about it," Terry begins, "why did you let me do that at all?"

He doesn't get an answer to that. Not even a shake of the head. Rather, Edd just tries to curl in on himself further.

Then comes a question Terry certainly didn't expect.

"Wuh…Why do you _care?_ "

"What?" Terry demands, gritting his teeth.

Edd gulps, seemingly trying to control his breathing.

"I _said,_ why do you _care?_ " he clarifies, "You can stop pretending to care about whatever I think or feel…I know you don't."

"Bullshit," Terry argues, "Of _course_ I care. Why do you think I agreed to this bullshit 'no-sex' deal?"

"What do you call what you _just_ did to me?" Edd scoffs back.

"I didn't stick anything _in you,_ did I?" Terry retorts, "I just needed to get off. What's the big damn deal?"

Edd sighs; "Never mind…I suppose it's not…After all, I assume you'll just go back to ignoring me or degrading me for how 'unfairly' I've treated you."

"The fuck are you goin' on about, now?" Terry snarls, "I told you; I just needed to fucking get off. Who said anything about ignoring you?"

"That's all you've done since you 'agreed' to that deal you hate so much," Edd replies, "You certainly didn't mean a word of what you promised and all you've done is complain about it ever since."

"Well… _yeah,_ " Terry shrugs, "I need it and I can't have it anymore. No shit I'm gonna be pissed about it."

Edd sits up to look at him, his gaze hard; "So it's better to throw a tantrum like a colicky toddler than to actually _try_ to engage in normal behavior with me?"

Terry clenches his jaw; "I suggest you watch your tone, _Princess._ "

"Or what?" Edd grumbles, bowing his head, "You'll hit me? Lock me up? Take away my clothes?" His shoulders fall. "Why not? You've already proven my point."

"We've been fucking _over this,_ " Terry sighs, "What's this really about?"

"It's only been a _day_ , Terry!" Edd cries, digging his fingers into his hair, "And all you've done in that time is complain about how unfair it is to _you._ You can't _stand_ to be alone with me unless it's to do something sexual. Despite claiming again and again that you want a relationship, you've shot down every effort I've made to establish one!" He stops for a moment, his shoulders quaking. "B-Because you don't _want_ that from me. You never _did…_ I-I'm just a _thing_ to you."

Now _that_ gets Terry's attention and it makes him hesitate to respond.

"Who said anything about _that?_ " Terry asks, his brow furrowed, "When have I _ever_ called you a 'thing'?"

"You didn't have to _say it,_ " Edd retorts, sniffling, "You've made it perfectly clear that the only value I have to you is that, once you've finished using me, you can then store me away like one of those horrible objects you've forced upon me. You act like just being _with_ me is so terrible…"

"Look, just cuz I wanna fuck you doesn't mean I don't wanna to be _with_ you," Terry argues, cupping Edd's chin to tilt his head up, "Being _with_ you is all I could ever want."

Edd pouts up at him; "Then why do you have to act so miserable when I want to do _anything_ else?" Fresh tears are slipping down his cheeks. "If you enjoy my company, then why is just _being_ with me such a burden simply because I don't want to do anything sexual?"

Terry releases him, rubbing his forehead to quell the stress headache creeping up on him.

"In case you haven't noticed, _Princess_ , there's not a whole helluva lot we _can_ do outside of that."

Edd sighs softly, turning away with a pout. Terry fights back his groan.

"Come _on,_ " he grumbles, placing his hands on Edd's hips, "You're thinkin' too much about it."

Bowing his head, Edd fidgets uncomfortably

"I don't think I am…You've been pretty blatant about how much you hate this."

"What do you _want_ from me?" Terry groans, "More fighting? What good does it do to keep bringing this up and fighting about it again and again? What are you trying to get out of this?"

Edd curls in on himself a bit more, hugging the jersey to his chest.

"I just…I don't understand," he mumbles, "Really — I don't. If you hate being around me unless you can abuse me, then…why keep me around? If you dislike me that much, why are you so intent on keeping me?"

"Hey!" Terry snaps, making Edd jump a little, "Who the fuck said _anything_ about 'disliking you'? You're the _one_ thing I give a shit about!"

With a shrug, Edd turns away again; "You could have fooled me…"

"Come on," Terry coos, leaning towards him, "I'm feelin' a helluva lot better now. So what're you worried about?"

Edd doesn't respond right away. Instead, he fidgets with the jersey in his hands. He's shivering slightly — _probably cold_ — but he either doesn't notice or doesn't care to do anything about it.

"What about when your mood plummets again?" Edd asks softly, "When your satisfaction wanes and you become frustrated with me like before? I assume you'll go back to ignoring me again?"

"Why worry about that now?" Terry asks, waving that off, "And why worry yourself sick about things that ain't gonna happen anyway?"

Brow furrowed, Edd glances at Terry before returning his gaze to the sheets.

"Because…" he pauses, "It _will_ happen, won't it? You don't want anything to do with me unless you're violating me in some way. Unless you can use me. Just like everyone else…"

"Everyone else?"

"That's what you said before…" Edd replies, "That everyone back home just uses me…"

"Well, yeah, but—"

"If you're right, that means…that they viewed me as an object to be used and later discarded."

"I mean, yeah, _they_ definitely—"

"And that means, even if I went home, I'd have nothing waiting for me…because everyone will have moved on."

He tries wiping away the tears that have begun their descent down his cheeks. Terry grimaces.

"Is that what's been bothering you?" he scoffs, "Forget _them._ " He cups Edd's chin and strokes his cheek. "You have _me_ now."

Edd's far from comforted by that, his face contorted into a look of defeat.

"But you're no better than they are…"

"What?" Terry asks, gritting his teeth.

Bowing his head, Edd hugs his arms.

"That's why you hate spending time with me, right?" he murmurs, "Because, after agreeing to our deal, you can't get anything out of me…That's why mother and father never wanted to be around me either. I could give them nothing they wanted…"

"That's not…"

"And that's why no one misses me, isn't it?" He gazes up at Terry, "Because…I'm just a thing. A…A worthless _thing_ that can be replaced with anything else."

"The fuck are you _talking_ about?" Terry snaps, grabbing Edd's arm, "Who the fuck said _anything_ about replacing you?"

Edd pauses, taking a moment to catch his breath.

"Y…You did," he replies softly, "You said…th-that Eddy is spending more time w-with Kevin?"

"Yeah! That's _Pipsqueak!_ " Terry insists, " _I_ wouldn't do that to you! You're not 'replaceable' to me!"

Edd doesn't look convinced and averts his gaze, glaring away from the man above him.

"You treat me like a toy…" he counters, "You use me all you want, then it's like you expect to put me away for when you want to use me again. And that surely means you can find a toy you like better when you're done with me?"

"Think again, _Princess,_ " Terry retorts, "That ain't gonna happen. There _is_ no being 'done with you'. What the hell's even making you think that?"

"Why _wouldn't_ I think that?" Edd asks, "You've been so much more…irritable with me today. How could I not assume you just see me as a thing? That's how you _talk_ about me too. Like I'm some possession. A thing you can own."

"That's…different," Terry groans, rubbing his eyes.

Edd's silent for a moment, _Thank god._ He did have one thing right; Terry can already feel himself losing his buzz from the sex.

" _Does this conversation upset you too?_ " he asks wearily, drawing Terry's attention to him again. He's rubbing his arm, keeping his head down. "Am I no longer to your liking? Perhaps you'd like to cut my tongue out as well? Then you'd never have to fight with me or hear my opinions ever again." He peeks at Terry coldly. "Would _that_ be more acceptable for you? To fix your broken toy in a manner that suits your sensibilities?"

Terry gazes back at Edd in horror. Such a cold, unsettling dare. _It must be a trick. He's trying to get under my skin. Make me drop my guard again._ But shit, even if that's the case, he finds he doesn't know what to do.

He pushes himself off of the bed, stumbling slightly as he finds himself unable to focus his attention anywhere; even as Edd follows him with his eyes, saying nothing more. Grabbing his robe, he struggles to pull it on, his breathing haggard.

Without another word, he staggers over to the door and out into the hall, hoping beyond hope to find an answer out here. As he shuts the door behind him, however, he doesn't make it very far from the bedroom before slumping down in the hall and against the wall. He raises his shaking hands to grab the sides of his head again, his eyes wide and manic as he fights to reconcile whatever the fuck just happened.

Edd allowed him the release he's been craving, but nothing about it was right. It was reluctant and filled with hurt. Edd wasn't submitting to him out of desire, but instead a desperate urge to placate him.

It was a lie.

He clenches his teeth harder, half-expecting to chip a tooth at this rate. When he brought Edd here, he knew he'd have to break him. But now that he's done just that, he doesn't know how to fix what he's broken. For that matter, he wasn't supposed to break like _this._ He was supposed to crack, then let Terry comfort him and fix him again, and then they'd live happily ever after.

Not this… _nightmare._

Wait…He takes a few deep breaths, his eyes darting about. Maybe that's it. This is a nightmare and he just needs to wake up. He digs his nails into his thigh, hard enough that he'd expect to draw blood. _Just like Edd…_ He ignores that thought, squeezing harder. To his horror, he feels each painful prick of his nails digging deeper into his own flesh.

It's no dream.

Every horrible thing Edd said. That twisted turn that he still doesn't know the origins of. The dejected, miserable look in Edd's eyes as he suggested silencing himself forever. It all happened.

And it's all his fault.

Covering his face with his hands, he stifles the scream that's trying to escape him. He may have gone too far. He's gone wrong somewhere, but _where?_ How did he break the thing he loves most into something he can barely recognize?!

" _Terry?_ "

He glances up to find Edd standing before him, dressed in nothing but his jersey. Well, not _Edd,_ obviously; his fantasy. He exhales a shaky breath.

"What do I do?" he begs softly, "How do I fix this?"

'Edd' doesn't respond right away. Only stares back at him, uncertain.

"Say something!" Terry demands, making the little phantasm jump and take a step backwards through the doorway of the bathroom.

He takes a moment to glance around at the door frame before letting his eyes fall back upon Terry, who's waiting impatiently for an answer.

"Wh…What makes you think you can _fix_ this?" he asks moments later, softly, "This is what you _wanted,_ isn't it?"

"Of course it's not what I _wanted!_ " Terry snaps back, scrambling to his feet, "I _wanted_ to bring him home and make him happy!" He takes a step towards him, making 'Edd' quiver. "I _wanted_ to pamper him like the little Princess he is. I _wanted_ to make him love me back, but shit just kept going wrong and now…"

His breathing gets shaky again and he slumps down onto his knees just before the door. He doesn't look up at 'Edd' again, just down at the floor as he struggles to piece it all together. The rush of emotion flowing through him is unlike anything he's ever felt before. Anger? Kinda. He definitely wants to hit something, but he's not sure why. Frustration? Isn't that the same thing? Well, no, not really. Frustration is definitely there. He's frustrated that he doesn't know what to do or what he's feeling.

Whatever it is, it's bad. It feels like his entire body is ten times heavier. Like he can't move right. And his chest. His chest feels tight and he's not sure if he's actually getting the air he's so desperately sucking in and out. There's a burning at the corners of his eyes, but he ignores it. Everything else is burning just as bad, if not worse.

As the frustrated tears trickle slowly down his face, interrupted by Terry dragging his hand over his cheeks and down his jaw, he doesn't notice the step the imaginary boy takes towards him. Not until, that is, the tiny hand is placed against his cheek. He closes his eyes, relishing in the warmth of the contact. He sighs softly as the little body practically falls against his own in an awkward embrace that he returns in relief.

He doesn't move for some time, his breathing still haggard and weary. Only when he opens his eyes to glance at the bedroom, not a thought running through his mind, does he noticed the door slightly ajar. Only then does he recall that he's never before been able to physically touch his little fantasy. It clicks into place slowly, steadily, and he's not sure whether to be angry or relieved. Angry because Edd disobeyed him (again) _and_ saw him at his most vulnerable, or relieved because now, maybe this can actually be the start of the connection he _wanted._

Placing one hand on he back of Edd's head, he pulls him closer, determined not to let him go and desperate to cling to something. He wills his mouth open to speak. He needs to say it. As much as he hates forming the words. As stupid as he feels saying it, he has to.

"I'm sorry," he mutters, burying his nose in Edd's hair.

He can't stay like that for long before Edd pulls himself away, looking up at him with wide eyes. Terry searches Edd's face for a moment before he cups his cheeks, holding him still.

"Don't talk like that again…" he begs softly, "Please…"

Edd holds his gaze for a moment before looking away, his brow furrowed.

"But it's true, isn't it?" he whispers, sniffling a little, "You hate spending time with me. You hate talking to me…or _hearing_ me talk?"

"No, I swear…"

"You barely look at me," Edd argues, tears running anew down his cheeks, "And you act like I've done you some great injustice."

"I'm sorry," Terry repeats, more firmly this time. "I've just been…frustrated. I didn't mean it. I can't _help_ it…I _need_ you."

With a sigh, Edd's shoulders slump down; "Can you at least put in a little bit more effort, then? You keep saying you're all I have…And…if you're right…then can you at least make that feel less hurtful than it is?"

Closing his eyes, Terry leans his forehead against Edd's, breathing as calmly as he can manage right now. His hands slide down Edd's jaw, to his neck and then to his arms, where he rubs them up and down. Not so much to calm Edd, but himself.

"If I can never go home…" he hears Edd mutter, "Can you at least stop treating me the way you claim _they_ did?" Another pause that he can feel Edd struggling through until he finally continues. "I don't…I don't want to be a thing anymore…"

Shaking his head, Terry opens his eyes, "You're not a thing to me. I'll make it up to you. Whatever it takes…I promise."

Edd returns his gaze, his brows furrowed. He takes a deep, uncertain breath before giving a timid nod.

"Okay…"


	34. Ch 33 - In Edd's Element

Their night is to be spent in awkward silence. Rather than immediately bring Edd back to the bedroom, Terry gives him the option to have a bath, which he silently accepts. Moreover, he allows Edd to bathe in private for once, and while Edd gives a relieved sigh in response to that, Terry admits to himself that it's more for his benefit than Edd's, so that he may take a moment to think about what just happened.

It's frustrating, to be sure, but the whole incident overall has left him humiliated. To have allowed Edd to see him so vulnerable — so… _emotional_ — it makes him sick to think about. Whatever leverage he might have had is all but gone now. Edd's seen him hurt and seen him express as much. But what could he say in his defense? Edd's words had cut him so deeply. To be threatened of being deprived of the voice he loved so dearly is worse than any torture he can imagine. And to know that Edd had become so lost and hurt as well made shame spread like creeping vines through his chest. He could think of no way to justify this. No excuses.

And what's worse, now that Edd has seen him like that, _he_ now has the leverage. Terry realizes that he'll need to keep his guard up even more from now on. If he's not careful, Edd might try to use that against him to slip away again, leaving him in an even worse place: without his darling for comfort and at the mercy of the authorities who will inevitably come for him.

But then…why did Edd come to him? Why, when he'd left Edd in the bedroom, had he followed? Was he trying to run and was subsequently caught off guard? Surely he didn't do that because he was concerned. After everything that's happened, after what he _said…_ There's no way that Edd would have been concerned. So…why—

He's given no more time to dwell on that as he hears the doorknob jiggle, drawing him to turn from where he's standing beside the door. Edd shyly peeks out, his hair still damp and the only thing covering his little body being the jersey. He doesn't say a damn word, just looks up at Terry uneasily before averting his gaze, his warm, pink cheeks burning slightly darker. He doesn't step out immediately, just stares down at the floor where the hallway meets the bathroom.

Brow cocked, Terry extends his hand towards him. After a slight pause, wherein Edd raises his hand, extending and curling his lithe fingers as he flounders between reaching towards the hand offered to him and holding his little fist against his chest, Edd slides his hand into Terry's own. They're silent as Terry returns them both to the bedroom.

As Terry carefully locks the door behind them, Edd drifts over to the bed, but hesitates again. When Terry turns back to him, he finds him gazing at the mattress with a look of betrayal and his fingers fidgeting with the hem of the jersey. Terry can almost see the thoughts running through his mind. Discomfort with remaining so bare below the waist. Dread with sliding under the covers. Resignation that he has no other option.

Hoping to give him _something,_ Terry grabs the boxers Edd had been wearing and hands him the clothing, allowing Edd to delay his descent upon the mattress for a few more precious moments. Edd mumbles a reluctant thank you and awkwardly steps into the oversized underwear as Terry adjusts the sheets on the bed. Once Edd's tied the underwear off at his waist, allowing the jersey to fall back over the waistband and nearly covering them again, he shyly steps towards the bed, his head bowed.

"Is…there anywhere else I can sleep…?" he croaks out, his voice shivering as much as he is.

Terry fights back the grimace that threatens to respond to that.

"You know there isn't," he grumbles, taking a breath to calm himself, "Just lay down n' sleep."

He steps back, turning to Edd expectantly. Still fidgeting, Edd takes a tentative step towards the bed before climbing onto the mattress. Scooting over to the farther side, he curls up, pulling the covers over himself as tight as he can manage. Terry slides in beside him, reaching for the clinking metal of the handcuffs.

" _Please don't use those…_ " Edd's meek little voice pipes out from beneath the covers.

Terry pauses, waiting for him to elaborate. When he doesn't, he decides to speak himself.

"I kinda have to, Princess," he retorts, giving him a hard look.

Edd peeks out from beneath his blanket barricade; " _Please_. I-It's so uncomfortable. Just this once?"

Dammit…It's already begun. Edd's trying to play to the weakness he knows Terry has for him. He frowns deeply.

"I can't trust that you won't try to slip away," he sighs, moving closer to him, "You know that."

Edd gazes up at him, tears shining in his eyes again.

"P-Please…" he repeats, "I just want to sleep…I-I won't run. P-Please just let me sleep…"

Another crossroads. Terry finds himself stuck again, unsure of how to proceed: to acquiesce and make Edd comfortable, or to assert his dominance again and risk the possibility of making Edd cry more. Edd's looking at him so pitifully as he waits for an answer, and, Terry admits, his movements thus far have been sluggish at best. He has to wonder if he'd even be _willing_ to run…

But…

"Okay…" he sighs, "I won't use them."

He can see Edd deflate in relief as he sighs; "Thank you."

With that, he retreats beneath the covers, curling back up away from him. Terry reclines beside him, setting the handcuffs aside. He leans against the pillows, eyeing Edd carefully as he fights against the temptation of slumber. If Edd wants to sleep without the cuffs, then he has to sacrifice his own rest.

 _Mike better not fucking need me tomorrow…_

Or at least, he assumes he has to stay awake to keep an eye on him. As the hours trickle slowly away, he watches Edd sleep soundly and without waking once. Even as he himself begins to fade once or twice, Edd never stirs, save for the occasional rolling in his sleep. Eventually, Edd's on his side, his peaceful face turned toward Terry as his body settles again. His hand rests, palm up beside his head, the little fingers naturally curled and giving the occasional twitch as a reminder that the sublime creature they're attached to is indeed still living.

Lips and throat drier than ever, Terry ghosts a delicate finger over Edd's cheek. Again, Edd stirs a bit, but doesn't wake, his breathing shallow. Swallowing thickly, Terry slowly, gingerly slinks down a bit further so that he can be face-to-face with him. It's a torturous, agonizing pace, but it's all worth it when he succeeds in moving without waking his beloved. Placing a hand delicately on Edd's own, he gazes into the closed eyes. He dares not speak, but thinks his words of affection as hard as he can in the hopes that Edd will somehow receive them in his dreams. And, as he tilts his head close enough to rest his forehead against Edd's own, he surrenders himself to the will of sleep.

* * *

In the morning, Terry decides to try something new. He wakes around the time Edd does and is pleasantly surprised to find him still curled up beside him, his sleep uninterrupted. Edd's still not very willing to talk, but murmurs a shy and hoarse 'G-G'morning…' when he notices Terry so near him. After a quick trip to the bathroom to let Edd use the toilet and brush his teeth, the idea makes itself known. Of course, he has to get breakfast out of the way first — nothing fancy: just some cereal for Edd and some toast and jam for himself — but after that, he's able to put his little plan into action.

Returning to the van, he retrieves Edd's bag and sneaks it into the trailer. Even after breakfast, Edd's still in his solemn mood. He is too, frankly, and he feels like he's been walking on eggshells since last night. So maybe giving the bag to Edd will make him feel a little better and lift the overall mood?

When he presents it to Edd, that seems to be the case.

"Where did you…" Edd breathes, stroking the canvas material, "You _kept_ this?"

"Not intentionally," Terry shrugs back, sitting beside him, "I just never brought it in."

Accepting this answer, Edd opens up the flap and searches through the contents. Terry can see him visibly relax as he withdraws a notepad and pencil box, a couple of large, heavy-looking textbooks for math and science, and a very tidy binder. As he removes said binder, a book flops out onto the bedspread. Setting aside everything else, Edd picks up the small book, inspecting it carefully, before gasping softly as something catches his eye.

"Oh dear…" he mumbles, looking over the textbooks as well, "These are school property. I was never able to return them!"

"Are you seriously worried about that?" Terry scoffs, "Fuck it."

"I realize that _you_ don't care," Edd grumbles, glaring at him, "But _I do_ …My record has been permanently tarnished because of _you_ and not returning these books makes it worse."

"C'mon, Princess," Terry sighs wearily, rubbing his forehead, "I'm tryin' to do somethin' _nice_ for you. Don't I get a fuckin' 'thank you' at least?"

Shoulders dropping, Edd sighs a bit; "I suppose it _will_ provide me with stimulating material to pass the time with on top of those books you bought for me." He thumbs a few of the pages of the book in his hand before glancing back up at Terry shyly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Terry replies, lowering his hand before leaning over him a little and placing his hands on Edd's hips, "But…how about a lil somethin' extra?"

Edd's cheeks burn and he bows his head.

"Why must _everything_ you do require compensation in return…?" he whines, "Why isn't a simple 'thank you' enough?"

"It is…" Terry frowns, "I was just hopin' for a lil affection from you too. Is that so bad?"

Pouting, Edd hugs the book to his chest, whimpering a little.

"N…No…" he mumbles, "Just…n-not now…" He glances at him, reluctantly. "I-I'd like to do a bit of reading."

Terry sighs, taking his hands off of Edd's hips. He tries his damnedest to not look as disappointed as he feels, but he knows he's failing. Sitting back, he holds his hand out towards the book.

"Reading, huh?" he asks as Edd gives him the novel, "What's so interesting about this?"

He skims over the cover of the book and its title, ' _Fahrenheit 451_ '. _Sounds familiar…_ Where had he heard about this before? Was it assigned reading for _him_ when he was a kid? Maybe?

"It's a fascinating read," Edd explains, his tone picking up a bit, "I was going to write a paper about it for class."

"How do you know it's so 'fascinating'?" Terry asks, "Wouldn't you have only _just_ gotten the assignment?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, didn't you only _just_ start back at school?" Terry presses.

"Yes," Edd admits, giving him an odd look, "We were in the midst of our second week…How did _you_ know that?"

"Pipsqueak told me in a letter."

"Oh…" Edd pouts, "I should have guessed…" He sighs. "Anyway, we received the assignment at the end of our first week. The book is rather short, so I was able to read through it once over the weekend."

"And you were reading it again?"

Edd nods; "Aside from the helpful practice of reading through the book a second time to pull from specific sections for the assignment, I also found it to be quite enjoyable. It's all about censorship and how it can so negatively affect a society."

"Censorship?" Terry hums, "Like when they cover up words like 'fuck' on tv or cut out the good scenes in movies?"

"Something like that…" Edd affirms, "In this case, it's the censorship that drives people to burn or, to a lesser degree, ban certain books."

"Oh yeah, like how some uptight, religious fuckers try n' ban books about magic n' shit?"

"Precisely!" Edd replies enthusiastically.

"So, what were you gonna write about?" Terry asks, sensing Edd's eagerness to 'teach' him about the subject.

The excited expression that crosses Edd's face makes the upcoming lecture immediately worth it as Edd goes into excruciating detail about every last note in his outline, which, as he retrieves it from his binder, Terry finds to be several pages thick and laden with a wall of text per page. Using those notes, he effectively describes each bullet point, his tone rising as he's reminded of specific items that he comes across.

Suffice it to say; it's delightful as fuck to watch. Almost as much as when he was talking about his life back in Peach Creek. Actually, maybe more so. He's so much more confident when he's describing his studies and so much more excited to talk about that. Granted, Terry's only half listening to what he's actually saying, but he can see that Edd cares about it a helluva lot.

However, just as Edd's getting into the climax of his little dissertation, he stops, his cheeks a light red. He shrinks in on himself, pouting.

"What's wrong?" Terry asks, brow furrows in confusion.

Edd shyly rubs his arm; "M-My apologies…I didn't realize that I'd been rambling so much."

"So?" Terry scoffs, reclining on his side and propping his head up with his hand, "Keep goin'."

Edd gives him a confused look; "You're not…bored by this…?"

"Why would I be?" Terry shrugs, "You looked like you were into it."

Edd bows his head; "It's just…Ed and Eddy always hated it when I'd talk about my studies…They always complained about how boring it was and they'd interrupt constantly to make me stop so they could do anything else."

Terry grimaces; "Well they ain't here, now are they?"

"Well…no…" Edd mumbles.

"And I _love_ hearin' you talk about it," Terry continues, his grimace morphing into a smirk, "Cuz I can tell how much _you_ love it. Frankly, I'm surprised you _remember_ that much."

Edd shrugs, the ghost of a smile creeping upon his lips.

"I don't know how to explain it…" he replies, "I've always been able to absorb the literature I read. Though…honestly, I _did_ forget about a lot of this. But looking over my notes helps."

"You must be real good at takin' notes, then," Terry chuckles, "No wonder your grades are so damn good."

The little smile grows with that, drawing Terry to grin more warmly as well. His little darling likes being praised for his intelligence, a fact he's more than happy to learn. He looks Edd up and down, wondering how he would react to being praised for other things.

"Besides…" he purrs, "you're even prettier when you talk about the things you like."

Edd bows his head, his cheeks tinging that heated pink as he fidgets with the cover of the book.

"O-Okay…" he mumbles, sitting up a little, "Um…Wh-Where was I…?"

"You'd just finished summarizing the book in its entirety and the themes it represents," Terry replies, "I think you were about to get into your argument?"

"O-Oh…yes…" Edd clears his throat, picking up his notes again.

He's shaky as he picks up a few beats before where he left off. Naturally, his tone is far less confident at first and it takes him a moment to get back into his groove. But when he does, it's stunning. Talking a mile a minute about his thesis and bringing in as many details as he can. His tone picks up sharply whenever he seems to be reminded of something specific and he smiles more easily.

As he slows to his conclusion, emphasizing the importance of preserving knowledge and refuting censorship, he's simply brimming with joy. He's clearly not been able to properly express his intellect in ages (perhaps even _before_ Terry had come along?) and he's relishing the opportunity now. His lovely eyes are bright and his cheeks are a pretty pink, accentuating the joyous smile upon his face. It's goddamn beautiful.

" _Terry?_ "

Terry's brought from his daydreaming by Edd addressing him directly. He's looking at him anxiously and leaning towards him a little.

"I _said,_ do you have any questions?" he asks.

The tone in his voice is hopeful; he wants to keep going. Terry smirks.

"Not really," he admits, "You were _very_ thorough."

That little add-on has Edd grinning shyly and it seems to be enough to sway his need to go on.

"Ed and Eddy would have _never_ let me talk on and on like that…" he mumbles, rubbing his thumb over the cover of his book.

"That's cuz they couldn't appreciate you," Terry retorts with a scoff, "They didn't care about how smart you were unless the little Pipsqueak could use it for his bullshit."

"I suppose so…"

Terry catches the dour look and decides to shift the topic away from _those two._

"Sounds to me like a lot of that was built up," he offers, "Didn't you ever practice this at home?"

Edd shrugs; "To myself, certainly, but it's…different in front of someone else…"

That makes Terry grimace.

"So your folks didn't want to listen to it either, huh?" he guesses, "I woulda thought they'd at _least_ give a shit about your schoolwork?"

Shaking his head, Edd starts picking at the blanket.

"As long as I kept my grades up, they rarely took notice," he mumbles, "They even stopped attending my spelling bees…"

"That's bullshit," Terry snarls, "I woulda gone to every one for _you._ "

"Yes…well…" Edd clears his throat, looking away with a blush, "M-Mother and Father were just…busy with work most of the time. They couldn't be available for something as…" He sighs a little, shrinking further in on himself. "As trivial as a spelling bee…"

Terry cocks his head to the side slightly, he brow furrowed; "So why keep doing any of that? What was the point?"

Edd shrugs lazily; "Because…I don't know…I enjoy schoolwork anyway, so it didn't bother me much that they weren't more observant of my grades, but…I guess…maybe I hoped they'd at least say they were proud of me once in a while." He sits up a little. "A-And sometimes, they _did!_ When I'd share my accomplishments with them, they'd add a second note congratulating me."

"They didn't say it to your face?" Terry points out, making Edd deflate again.

"Well…no," he admits softly, "It was…easier to communicate through sticky notes."

"Because it meant they didn't have to _talk to you?_ "

He doesn't get an answer to that. Instead, Edd raises his hand to tug lightly at the hair around his temple. It really has gotten much longer since he first brought Edd home back in September, which suits his face much better. There's a slight curl to it at the ends, and a bit of a wave in the length. He decides to let it grow out a little longer before trying to trim it up for him (if he even wants to do that later). As Edd's fingers inch higher, he exposes the scar that had been hidden by his hair. Terry notices the unfocused look in his eyes as he stares down at the bed, his brow furrowed a bit.

With a frown, Terry sits up. Edd doesn't seem to notice until he brushes Edd's hair away from his eyes, gently taking the boy's hand in his own. He drinks in the sight of Edd's shy gaze upon him. Lower lip quivering slightly as he pouts. His eyes are a bit glassy and his adorable little nose is beginning to turn red. Something about that question has him close to tears, but he's not quite there yet. _Fuck that._ He's cried enough as of late.

After a moment and before Terry can say something to comfort him, Edd's shoulders fall and he looks away.

"May I please…" he mumbles, his voice twinged with hopelessness, "Read my book?"

There's a suggestion in his voice that Terry can tell adds 'I don't want to talk anymore' and perhaps, 'I want to be alone'. The latter is disappointing, to say the least, but he's unwilling to upset Edd any further than he already has, lest he regress his progress even further. With a soft sigh, he leans in to kiss Edd's forehead.

"Sure you can," he coos, rubbing the back of Edd's hand with his thumb.

With that, he carefully slips off of the bed and begins walking to the door.

" _Whuh-Where are you going?_ " Edd gasps, stopping him.

Terry glances back at him with a shrug; "Letting you read? Figured you wanna do that alone?"

Whimpering softly, Edd shakes his head; "P-Please…I-I don't want to be alone right now…C-Can you just…"

He fumbles to come up with whatever's on his mind. Terry turns back to him fully and returns to the bed So, he'd been off the mark with his assessment. Edd had actually admitted he wants Terry to stay. The request rings beautifully in his ears. So, naturally, he's going to stay. Giving Edd as comforting a smile as he can muster, he bends towards him and gently touches the top of his head with a warm hand.

"Okay," he breathes, "In that case, I'm just gonna go and grab some snacks for us from the kitchen. Maybe some chips or popcorn?" He moves his hand down to cup Edd's cheek, "You want anything?"

Edd nods; "Y-You wouldn't happen to have any…soda, would you?"

"Hmm…Probably not…I'll have to check," Terry replies, "Anything else?"

Edd shrugs a little; "Water is fine, then…Would that popcorn even still be good?"

"It's only been a couple days," Terry shrugs back, "I'm sure it'll be fine. And, if not, we got some chips instead."

"O-Okay…" the tiniest little smile begins to creep across Edd's pretty face, "Thank you…"

Chuckling softly, Terry places a quick peck to Edd's cheek before standing straight and leaving the room again. He's never felt so giddy as he retrieves the bag of popcorn and a bag of chips. As he searches through the fridge for any soda, he regrets to find that the only carbonated beverage he has is in the form of his booze. He makes a mental note to pick up some sort of cola for Edd during his next grocery run, before grabbing a couple bottles of water.

Before returning to the bedroom with his spoils in hand, he spots the bag his mother had loaded with Christmas leftovers and studies it with a furrowed brow. He could vaguely remember some sweeter treats hiding within and, lo and behold, as he searches its confines, he withdraws a box of cookies and a box of fudge.

Perfect!

With that, he returns to the bedroom, where Edd has set up the pillows to lean against. He's also carefully repacked his bag and has moved it to the floor to lean against the bedside table. Terry grins as he closes and locks the door with one hand.

"I got a surprise for ya," he chuckles, drawing Edd's full attention.

Edd sits up a little bit; "What is it…?"

Setting the chips and popcorn aside, Terry presents him the cookies and fudge, which Edd gapes at joyfully. When he reaches for a cookie, however, Terry playfully retracts them.

"Ah-ah!" he chuckles, "Let's get settled first, then you can have all the sweets you want."

Edd pouts a little before scooting away to let Terry sit down. Pleased, Terry sets the food aside and takes his place against the pillows, directly in the middle of the bed. When he's comfortable, he beckons Edd towards him with a sly grin. With a blush, Edd clutches the book to his chest, surveying the landscape of the bed and appearing to weigh the pros and cons of any specific spot. There's not much room for him to lean against the pillows anymore. The bed isn't very large, after all.

Sighing, he crawls over to sit beside him in hopes of settling in under Terry's arm. However, he finds that the amount of space he's left with is insufficient, leaving him nearly teetering on the edge of the bed, which Terry chooses not to point out himself. Instead, he lets Edd be the one to decide what he wants to do: suffer in silence with the minimal space, or take his rightful seat in Terry's lap.

Reluctantly, Edd moves away again and sits in front of him, his back arching as he curls in on himself. He's not started reading and he doesn't seem to be preparing to. Rather, he sits and glares away from the man behind him.

"Don'tcha wanna get comfy, Princess?" Terry asks, cocking his brow.

Edd turns his cold eyes to him and nothing else; "There's no room."

"Sure there is," Terry scoffs, patting his thigh, "C'mon over here and sit in my lap."

With a whine, Edd shrinks further in on himself; "You know I don't like that…"

 _Fuck…Okay._ Holding back a grimace, Terry grabs one of the pillows from behind him and places it in his lap.

"There," he offers, "Would that be better?"

Eyes flickering over the pillow covering the man's groin, Edd takes several moments to think before shyly approaching him. The weight of Edd's body pressing against the pillow and, by extension, his chest and waist, is perhaps the most comforting thing Terry can think of right now. He curls up again, but much more comfortably, and opens his book. As Terry opens the bag of popcorn, he notices that Edd's remaining silent. A quick glance back shows his head bowed and nose buried in the book.

"Well?" Terry coos, startling him, "Ain't ya gonna start reading?"

Glancing at him, Edd gives him a confused look.

"I…have…?" he murmurs before blushing a little, "Y-You expected me to read…aloud?"

"Sure," Terry shrugs back, handing him the box of cookies, "You want me here, right? Might as well show me how good the book is by reading it _to me,_ don'tcha think?"

Stunned, Edd accepts the box before relaxing with a smile.

"Alright…" he breathes, abandoning his bookmark and flipping back through the pages, "In that case…let's start from the beginning, shall we?"

"No better place," Terry snickers as he opens a bottle of water to take a swig.

"I…" Edd pauses, hunching his shoulders, "hope you don't mind if I stop now and again to discuss certain points in the book?"

Terry hums a swallow as he sets the bottle aside again. Placing his arm around Edd's waist, he leans over him, nuzzling Edd's temple.

"Whatever you want, Princess," he murmurs, kissing his cheek.

A shiver runs through Edd as Terry sits up to lean against the pillows again. Taking a moment to brush that aside, Edd turns away a little and holds up the book.

"O-Okay…" he stutters, swallowing uncomfortably, "'Part one: The Hearth and The Salamander'."

And from that moment on, Terry lets his thoughts wander. Edd has a lovely reading voice which Terry loses himself to again and again, mere moments after briefly resurfacing from his daydreams. Edd carefully pronounces each syllable and pauses at all the right places. He only slips up when Terry wraps his arms around his middle again somewhere between pages twenty and twenty-five. When it goes no farther, he manages to pick up where he left off, choosing to ignore the action, which proves very fortuitous for his admiring audience.

With Edd thoroughly distracted by the words on the page, Terry's able to enjoy holding him close and leaning over him. Subtly burying his nose in Edd's neck, he gently breathes in the lovely aroma. His shampoo, still clinging to Edd's hair, the minty soap on his skin, all mingling with the warm scent of sleep that's still lingering on them both. The most fragrant flower ever, nestled comfortably in his arms.

Pure bliss.

Naturally, Edd stops now and again to munch on a cookie, or enjoy a savory piece of fudge, or (much more frequently) to gulp down a refreshing swig of water to quench his drying throat. For the most part, however, he continues reading, stopping to raise a question that would come to him through the reading. Nothing terribly interesting, if Terry had to admit, but Edd's enjoying himself.

And that's all that matters.

Terry can't deny that he'd much rather be doing anything else, of course, but as long as Edd's happy, he considers it to be more than enough to content them throughout the rest of the day. Besides…

 _Who's to say the night won't_ _ **end**_ _with a little affection?_


	35. Ch 34 - Happy-Go-Edd

The hours trickle away like nothing and, before they know it, they've reached part two, at which point, Terry decides it's about time for a brief respite to get a real bite to eat. Leaving Edd to wait in the bedroom, Terry returns their snack foods to the kitchen and prepares them a couple of sandwiches; peanut butter and jelly for Edd and leftover ham for himself. As they eat, Edd shyly tries to strike up a conversation.

"So…" he murmurs, shielding his chewing with his hand, "What shall we do after lunch?"

Rather than answer, Terry takes a minute to chew his own bite. The obvious answer in _his_ mind is to fill their time with as much fucking as they can manage, but, of course, that's not an answer _Edd_ would accept anytime soon. No, best to stick with activities Edd actually _admits_ to enjoying for now.

"You wanna just keep reading?" he suggests.

Edd shrugs, bowing his head and rubbing his eye with his free hand.

"I don't think that would be wise…" he replies softly, "My eyes are a bit tired. I'd be remiss to strain them any further." Glancing back up at him Edd brushes his hair behind his ear. "Perhaps we can continue tomorrow?"

Shaking his head, Terry pops the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth, taking the moment to polish it off.

"Sorry, sweetheart," he retorts, swallowing the last of his meal, "I'm on the clock tomorrow."

To his surprise, Edd's shoulders fall and he lowers the remainder of his sandwich.

"Oh…" he pouts a little, "Did your…boss call you again?"

"Nah," Terry shrugs back, "We got a scheduled shipment comin' in. Nothin' much, but it means a lot of inventory — mostly managing any of the food stock that was left over or anything else we gotta throw out. Shit like that."

Edd hums softly in response, staring down at the bedspread.

"Well…" he licks his lips, "Would…Would you like me to wait? Instead of reading on? Or…" He averts his eyes again. "Were you even enjoying the reading at all?"

Terry cocks his brow, studying him carefully. His tone is much more somber than he'd have ever expected and it's reflected in his posture as well, which is beginning to curl inward. Perhaps he's reading into it a bit too deeply, but it's sounding like his little Princess wants him around? He tries not to let his eagerness show as he shrugs.

"Of course I'm enjoyin' it," he retorts, "I like listenin' to you read. But I don't mind either way if you wanna enjoy your book."

Edd's eyes dart around the blanket, and every now and then land upon Terry before he shakes his head.

"I don't mind waiting…" he mumbles, raising his sandwich to keep eating, "I…I would…hate for you to miss out on the rest of the narrative after all."

 _Hmm…Seems like a convenient excuse…_ Terry does his damnedest to hide the grin that's threatening to break on his face. After all, they stopped at a perfect place to go back and pick up again even after Edd's read through the story once, twice, or however many times his darling little bookworm could devour it. There's no real rhyme or reason to waiting to read on. Therefore… _My Princess_ _ **does**_ _want me here. He likes reading with me. He likes_ _ **being**_ _with me._ The euphoria of the revelation is almost dizzying, and he quickly becomes intoxicated by the very idea. However, he forces it back. Can't be too obvious with just how excited this exchange has left him. Instead, he reclines on the bed, shooting him a sly grin.

"Well, in that case, what do _you_ want to do?" he asks, brow cocked.

Edd shifts a bit, chewing thoughtfully on his bite of pb&j before swallowing.

"Can…" he pauses again, biting his lip, "Can we please leave this room? It's so stifling…"

Terry sighs, the bliss receding; "You know the answer to that."

That earns him a pitiful pout.

"But…I-I really…"

" _I_ really don't care what argument you wanna try and feed me," Terry interjects, "I ain't givin' you any chance to run off again."

Edd bows his head; "What if I promise not to run?"

Terry gives him a hard look; "The answer's no, Princess. At least not right now. Try again."

Another sigh; "Well…I know you don't like just 'talking' to pass the time…would you happen to have a television?"

"Not in here."

"Would it be possible to _bring it_ in here?"

Terry strokes his goatee, humming thoughtfully; "We wouldn't have cable. I'd have to get a longer cable or somethin' to get actual programming and channels n' shit."

"Well…do you have any films we could watch?" Edd asks, cocking his head to the side.

"Ah…yeah…" Terry answers reluctantly, "But nothin' _you'd_ be interested in."

Edd grimaces in disgust; "I see…"

Terry looks over him carefully before sitting up a little.

"But…there _is_ a video store in town," he notes, "I could pick up some movies for us?"

"Oh," Edd perks up a bit, "Well…that would be wonderful."

"I could go now, if you want," Terry offers, rising from the bed, "Any requests?"

Edd pauses to mull it over; "Well…for tomorrow, I'd love to watch something educational. A documentary or educational program for television…Something like that?"

"Shouldn't be too hard to find…" Terry shrugs, "How 'bout for today?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, Edd furrows his brow in thought, making the collar jingle with each jerking movement. He eventually shrugs.

"I don't really know what's out," he answers, "Or what _you_ might enjoy watching. I find entertainment in documentaries on mollusks…I don't imagine you'd be as interested in something like that…"

"True," Terry admits, "What did you n' those so-called friends of yours like to watch?"

Edd shrugs; "Mostly cheesy monster movies that Ed would scrounge up. I can't say much for their _quality,_ but they were fun to watch with Ed and Eddy."

With a hum, Terry walks over to the dresser to retrieve his keys; "Alright, well, I'll see what they've got. Do you need to use the bathroom before I go?"

Edd nods; "Just to wash my hands."

"Alright, let's go."

Shoving the rest of his sandwich into his mouth, Edd climbs off of the bed and approaches the man waiting patiently by the door. Terry doesn't bother using the gag, but he does keep a tight grip on Edd's slender wrist as he ushers him from the bedroom to the bathroom. He leans against the closed door, watching Edd wash his hands and then decide to brush his teeth as well. His eyes are locked on the mirror, so he likely doesn't notice Terry's gaze upon him as he scrubs his near-perfect teeth clean. Doesn't notice Terry watching for any sign that he'll make a break for it. After a careful rinse, Edd rejoins Terry's side and allows the man to escort him back to the bedroom, where he makes a beeline for the bed.

Before leaving, Terry stands over Edd, who's taken his seat amidst the sheets. Tilting the boy's jaw up, he leans in for a kiss, holding him still. He only just manages to hold himself back from slipping his tongue past Edd's lips and pulls away shortly after their lips meet. As Terry stands straight, Edd brings his hand up to cover his mouth, his cheeks and nose a faint red. With a smirk and nothing more said, Terry turns and leaves.

Traffic is surprisingly heavier today, but the rental place is relatively sparse. He noticed during the drive that the parking lots that were the most packed were typically the toy and clothing stores, indicating that the rush was likely due to the influx of holiday returns from greedy fuckers who decided to buy whatever they could get their grubby fucking hands on, rather than purchase what their recipients actually fucking _wanted_. Pathetic.

Terry tries to put his mind elsewhere as he peruses the selection of tapes on the shelves. He starts in the documentary side of the store — might as well get _that_ out of the way first. Edd mentioned mollusks, so he grabs some boring-as-fuck-looking box with a snail on the front. _Those are mollusks, right?_ A quick check of the back of the box…yep. Add that to the list. He decides to also grab a film about how amusement park rides are made and their history. If Edd's so interested in his job, then maybe he'll get a kick out of this?

With those movies in hand, he strays over to the science fiction section. Nothing much grabs his attention, save for one film he stumbles across in the new releases. The cover sports a robot wearing a cowboy hat in mid-outcry as he raises a flaming branding iron. The settings are alien, with a ringed planet in the sky. The title is styled to look bolted into the bottom fourth of the cover; _Robot Rebel Ranch_.

Terry scoffs; _Looks cheesy as fuck to me…_

He reads over the back of the box, which boasts a story about space outlaws being marooned on a distant planet and at the mercy of robot bounty hunters. _Yup: cheesy as fuck_. But Edd might like it? He spots the R-rating amidst the credits and shrugs. There's no sexy babes on the box at all and the reasons listed for the rating are all around the violence and language (with some adult situations). But he doubts it's _that_ bad. In his experience, films like this are typically more tame than they advertise.

Besides, if there's anything 'scary' in this movie, maybe it'll get Edd to cling to him for comfort, which makes it more than worth the risk. To offset the violent film, he throws in a couple of feel-good Christmas movies. _It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol,_ shit like that. Movies that are sure to give Edd that warm and cuddly feeling that he may or may not want to start acting on.

As he heads to the front to check out, he spots some snack foods and a refrigerator of cold drinks at the counter. Perfect! He snatches up a couple of colas for Edd and sets everything beside the register. The clerk — some scrawny, greasy teenager with a constellation of zits across his oily cheeks — gives him a funny look as he rings up the rentals. And sure, the selections are altogether really odd, but who the fuck gives this little shit the right to judge him? But, rather than engage in a petty argument, Terry just pays for the rentals and sodas and leaves with the bag of tapes _clacking_ lightly together in the plastic.

He's hardly able to contain his excitement as he drives back to the park. The scene plays out in his head like the most perfect of plays. His little darling, thrilled by his return and ready to embrace him the moment he walks into the bedroom. Smiling up at him so warmly and sweetly. He'll be totally unfazed by the gap in his teeth; proudly displayed to show Terry how deeply happy he is to see him again. Pressing those flawless, pink lips against Terry's own. Pleading softly into his ear to be touched and pampered like the little Princess he is.

Okay, so maybe some of that is a bit farfetched right now, but he can dream, dammit!

Parking beside his trailer, he wastes no time in getting inside. He hears some commotion out in the park. Mike probably has a few hands out there doing some work. Best to get his ass inside so that he doesn't get roped into it too. He heads over to the t.v. first, which he has on a rolling cabinet that's had its wheels locked in place to keep it still. After carefully unplugging everything — the power cord for the t.v. itself, the one for the VCR, and the cable programing cord — and storing the remote control in the cabinet, he wheels it down the hall.

As he makes his way to the bedroom, he's grinning ear-to-ear. His expectations for what's on the other side of the door are too high and he damn well knows it. He knows that Edd's likely just playing with his activity books or reading from his textbooks, or something else that's far removed from the sexy, affectionate fantasy Terry has in mind. And, as he opens the door, he finds this to be the case. Edd glances up at him from the paper he's writing on. The math textbook is lying before him, open to some page in the middle of the book. Terry cocks his brow at him as he wheels the t.v. through the door and into the bedroom proper.

"Practicin' some math?" he guesses with a grin as he closes and locks the door behind him.

Sitting up, Edd shrugs; "Just brushing up on my algebra."

"I see…" Terry chuckles softly, resting his hand on the top of the television set, "Well, do you want me to leave you to that? Or do you wanna watch some movies?"

"A movie would be nice," Edd answers, closing the book and gathering his papers and pens, "Did you find something good?"

"You tell me," Terry shrugs, handing him the bag, "I got you some soda too."

Edd grins as he reaches into the bag, withdrawing the bottles.

"Thank you," he says setting them aside so he can continue sifting through the bag.

The smiles grows a little as he pulls out the mollusk documentary and even more when he produces the ride documentary.

"This looks fascinating…" he murmurs, reading over the back of the box.

"Figure'd you'd like that…" Terry chuckles, turning away to remove his overshirt.

" _Christmas movies!_ "

Terry peers back at him, where Edd's bouncing a bit. The videos drop with a clatter, though, and he gasps audibly as he seems to notice the last movie.

"This is _out?!_ " he guffaws, grasping the tape in his hands.

Brow furrowed, Terry approaches the bed.

"Yeah," he retorts, "It was with the new releases. Musta just come out." He gives him a suspicious look. "Why? You heard of it?"

"Heard of it?!" Edd scoffs, glancing up at him, "Ed, Eddy, and I were going to try to _see_ this movie when it was in theaters!"

"Really?" Terry grins a little, "Y'know that movie's rated R, right? Woulda thought a little goody toe-shoes like yourself wouldn't have been _interested_ in somethin' like that."

Edd's ears burn shyly and he bows his head; "Y-Yes…well…I-It was more _Ed's_ idea than anything…a-and Eddy's the one who devised the plan to get in…"

"Oh really?" Terry snorts, sitting beside him, "And how did he think he was gonna get away with that?"

Giggling a little, Edd plays with the ends of his hair near his shoulder.

"Well, we had been collecting empty bottles to get money for jawbreakers," he explains, "which we then decided to use for tickets. We rode a bicycle to the theater — Eddy rode on the handlebars and I sat behind Ed while he maneuvered the bike. The plan was; when we got there, Eddy was going to go in first —" He interrupts himself with more giggling. "Because he was 'the most mature-looking'. And then Ed and I would follow."

Edd's laughter is damn gorgeous to witness. Even if he _is_ talking about those two fuckers. His happy little giggles are sweet as honey. Terry chuckles softly, reaching out to stroke the hair on the nape of Edd's neck, which Edd either doesn't notice in his reverie, or he doesn't care to stop.

"And how were you and the other one gonna get _in?_ " Terry asks.

Edd's laughter slows a bit and his grin falls; "Uh…W-Well, we never actually got to the theater, so…I suppose it didn't really matter anyway…"

"What d'ya mean by that?" Terry asks.

"Well, we got a little…'sidetracked'," Edd explains, "We took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up in the junkyard, where we crashed the bike. Then, rather than turn around and try to make our way to the theater on foot or by bus, Eddy and I became absorbed in Ed's _very_ active imagination. So we spent the rest of the day playing out scenes that Ed described as being from the film."

"Hmm" Terry mumbles, focused more on the texture of Edd's hair between his fingers.

Edd reaches up to brush Terry's hand away, bowing his head.

"Um…I-Is there anything you'd want to watch first?" he mumbles, "I'm sure you've no interest in the documentaries, but would you perhaps like to watch 'Robot Rebel Ranch'?"

Terry shrugs; "Whatever you want, Princess."

Rising to his feet, he situates the t.v. beside the bed. The only outlet that's available is the one behind the bedside table. He hadn't had any plans to use the outlets when he was installing the sound-dampening foam, so it'll be best to have it there. But the number of outlets proves to be a problem.

Rather than unplug the lamp and alarm clock, he excuses himself back to the kitchen in search of a surge protector. He's sure he has one _somewhere_ and… _Aha!_ Buried in a drawer in the kitchen, he finds a six-outlet power strip and returns with it to the bedroom. Then, it's a quick setup of plugging most things into the surge protector before inserting the tape into the waiting VCR.

"Alright, Princess," he announces proudly, "You ready?"

Beaming excitedly, Edd nods, sitting up and on the edge of the bed. Retrieving the remote from within the cabinet, Terry moves to sit behind him so that Edd can have an unencumbered view and reclines against the pillows. As the tape begins to play, Terry turns up the volume a bit before settling in for the feature presentation.

On the whole, the film isn't 'terrible'. It's definitely not the action-packed thriller the box promised, but it _does_ have its intense moments. Nothing that bothers _him_ , of course, but that certainly affects Edd.

About midway through the movie, the tension begins to rise as the robot bounty hunters manage to capture one of the space outlaws and proceed to torture him ruthlessly to get the location of his comrades. The carnage and screams draw Edd to curl in on himself as he tries to back away from the screen.

Sitting up, Terry scoots away from the pillows, moving closer to Edd to offer him some comfort. Resting his legs around Edd, he wraps his arm around the slender shoulders, reminding him he's there. Edd glances at him, his brow furrowed and eyes wide before grimacing a little. Whining a bit, he hugs his knees to his chest, returning his gaze to the screen and shivering. Terry watches him struggle silently for a bit before leaning towards him.

"Do you wanna stop the movie?" he whispers, gently rubbing Edd's shoulder with his thumb.

Edd shakes his head; "I-I'm fine!"

"You sure?" Terry scoffs, "Cuz you don't look so good."

His teasing tone earns him another whine; "It's just…more than I was expect…"

The roar of a rotary saw followed quickly by the grinding of bone and a horrific scream make him go pale and silence him from whatever else he might've wanted to say. He backs away again, into Terry's waiting arms. His entire body is quaking as he turns to press his face against Terry's chest. Heaving a wistful sigh, Terry wraps his arms around Edd, pulling him close and pausing the movie to protect him from the scary robots. With a grin, he leans in to kiss Edd's temple to comfort him more. Edd shifts a little.

"I'm sorry…" he mumbles, "I don't mean to behave so…pathetically…"

"Pathetically?"

"I mean…" Edd mumbles, "I-I know it's shameful of me to…t-to be…" He lowers his voice. "…afraid of a silly movie…"

Terry smiles more warmly.

"Nothin' to be ashamed of, Princess," he coos, petting Edd's hair, "Just means the movie's doin' its job."

"I guess…" Edd mumbles, pulling away with a pout, "I just know Ed and Eddy would've mocked me for being frightened."

"That's cuz they're a couple of assholes," Terry scoffs before cupping Edd's chin, "I don't mind at all."

Edd grumbles under his breath, pushing Terry's hand away and glancing at the screen.

"You didn't have to pause the film because of me…"

"Just didn't want you to get _too_ scared, Princess," Terry replies, leaning in to kiss his cheek near his ear.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Edd watches the screen out of the corner of his eyes, hunching his shoulders. He sighs after a moment.

"I'm being so foolish," he grumbles, digging his fingers into his own hair near the back of his head, "It's just a movie…"

"D'ya wanna keep going?" Terry asks, waving the remote at him.

His answer is a pitiful whine and more sidelong glances at the frozen carnage. Terry grins a bit.

"C'mon, sweetheart," he purrs, "No need to be scared… _I'm_ here, ain't I? I'll protect you from the scary space robots."

Edd glances up at him with a hint of a glare; " _Please_ refrain from speaking to me as though I were some frightened infant. I'm not _so_ pathetic that I would believe that those…things are real."

"Whatever you say, darlin'," Terry shrugs, reclining on the pillows again.

With that, he presses play, and the shrieking and horror commences once again. This time, though, Terry keeps his attention mostly on Edd, ignoring whatever's going on in the film. Edd's entire body is tensed as he keeps his gaze locked on the red and flashing screen. Pulling his knees to his chest, he hugs his legs tight, both his fingers and his toes clenching. He visibly relaxes, though, as mere moments before the poor, tortured space outlaw is finally finished off, the wall erupts in an explosion of laser blasts and rubble. The robot bounty hunter is incapacitated and the outlaw saved, followed by an exciting devil-may-care escape.

The outlaws reconvene and treat their wounded comrade. They're confident he'll live, but that they've got to make a break for the portal or whatever to get home. Then, plot, plot, plot, cool action scene, ridiculously long chase scene that makes up the majority of the climax —which Edd cheers on as he becomes engaged in the narrative again — all culminating in a happy ending. Oh and then, of course, there's the tagged-on 'or is it…?' moment as the camera follows the ship that now has a blinking red device attached to it. As the credits roll, Edd's grinning excitedly.

"So, you enjoyed it, huh?" Terry asks, as he stops the film and lets it rewind.

"Oh yes!" Edd replies, turning towards him a little more, "It was a wonderful thrill!" He giggles a little. "Ed would've loved it…"

"Not _too_ scary?" Terry teases, hoping to divert his attention from a possibly somber topic.

Edd shrugs; "N-No. Not…really…"

"Mm hmm…" Terry chuckles, picking up on the forced tone in his voice, "Well, you wanna watch somethin' else?"

"Uh…" Edd swallows thickly, " H-How about one of the Christmas movies?"

"Sure," Terry shrugs.

Edd glances at him, his brow furrowed before he reaches for the bag of tapes on the floor. He's slow in his movements, but there's no hesitation as he chooses _A Christmas Carol_. With a concerned look, he turns back to Terry, holding up the box.

"How about this one?"

Again, Terry shrugs; "Whatever you want."

Edd's shoulders fall and he frowns; "Is there anything… _you_ want to watch?"

"Sweetheart, I don't really care either way," Terry admits, "You can choose whichever one you like — I don't have any preference."

Fidgeting with the tape box, Edd bows his head.

"O-Okay…"

He jumps a bit as the VCR's rewinding comes to a sudden stop with a sharp _click_. He sighs softly in relief before rising to swap out the tapes. Placing _Robot Rebel Ranch_ back into its box, he glances at Terry.

"Before we begin, may I use the lavatory?"

With another shrug, Terry rises from the bed to escort him. Edd sneaks uncertain glances in his direction, but is, for the most part, silent as they make the short walk to the bathroom and as he relieves himself. Terry decides he should probably do the same, and does so while Edd washes his hands. As he follows suit, adjusting the temperature of the water a bit from scalding to lukewarm, Edd finally speaks.

"Are you…okay?" he asks softly.

Terry glances at him, his brow cocked.

"Fine," he retorts, washing his hands, "Why d'ya ask?"

Edd shrugs, bowing his head; "It just seems like you're going along with…whatever. Are you bored by all of this?"

"So what if I am?" Terry replies, "I got those movies for _you_. As long as you're enjoying yourself, I don't care what we do."

"Really?" Edd stands up straight, "But wouldn't it be better if you were enjoying yourself too?"

Grinning down at him, Terry places his hand atop his head.

"The fact that you're so concerned is enough for me," he insists.

Edd searches his face for a moment before a tiny smile spreads across his face. That seems to be the end of it as he's then ushered back to the bedroom. In the hall, Terry glances at Edd.

"I was thinkin' about ordering a pizza," he states as he opens the door, "What d'ya think?"

"Oh…that'd be nice," Edd says with a smile.

"What would you like?"

Edd shrugs; "I'm fine with just cheese. Maybe a little pepperoni."

"Alright, I'll call it in."

Leaving Edd in the bedroom, he excuses himself to make the call, still feeling giddy as fuck over Edd's adorable concern over him and whether or not he's enjoying their time together. He gets them a large pizza to share — he's not feeling _too_ hungry, but at least then, they'll have some more leftovers to tide them over for a day or so. He opts for carry out and is given the estimated preparation time and total. It's a slow night, apparently, and the order should be ready in about twenty minutes. Pleased, he returns to the bedroom to grab his keys and let Edd know he's heading out.

The response to that has him even more excited.

"Y-You're leaving?" Edd asks, wringing his hands together.

"Just for a minute to pick up our food," Terry retorts, "I'll be back soon."

Edd starts glancing around uneasily before his eyes glimpse over the robot movie cover. He starts whining again.

"C-Can't you get it delivered?" he asks, his voice sounding strained.

Terry looks him over, suspicious; "Carry-out's cheaper. Why?"

"I just…" Edd sighs, "Do you _really_ have to go?"

Terry glances at the tape before grinning.

"Don't worry, Princess," he breathes, placing his hands on Edd's shoulders, "I won't be long. And there's no place safer for you than this room. Which means no crazy robots are gonna come for you."

Blushing, Edd bows his head.

"I know _that…_ " he grumbles, "I just…I thought you wanted to spend time with me?"

"I do," Terry retorts, "but we gotta eat, right? I'll be back in a flash."

Edd sighs; "Okay…"

Terry shakes his head, kissing his forehead.

"Don't you worry about a thing, darlin'," he assures, "I'll be home soon."

Of course, his trip to the pizza place is quick and painless, though it's made more agonizing by the knowledge that his darling wants him home. To know that he's scared to be alone and needs comforting. At least the clerk isn't too chatty and he's in and out there, but the drive back is fucking torture. More obnoxious traffic, dumbass drivers — Jesus, can this light just fucking _change?!_ As he pulls into the park, he feels some of the rage quell, and, after parking by the trailer, he slips inside as quick as he can.

As he reenters the bedroom, Edd looks quite relieved. He's situated himself in the middle of the bed, up against the pillows to read over his science textbook. Seems to have been enough to comfort him. Shit, if he'd known the movie would have such a deep impact on Edd, he would've had them watch it a lot sooner.

 _Shouldn't be hard to get him snuggling close tonight…_

Setting aside the books and the extra movies, they settle in to watch _A Christmas Carol_ and enjoy their fresh, hot pizza.

This film has the opposite effect of the robots, leaving Edd with a broad grin through it's majority. He eventually ends up on his stomach, propping his head up on his hands and gazing at the screen intently. As the movie comes to a close, however, Terry notes that Edd's already drifting to sleep, resting his head on his now crossed arms. The half-empty pizza box lies discarded on the floor where they'd left it who knows how long ago. With a chuckle, Terry lets the film fade out to credits before stopping it and setting it to rewind. Sitting up, he gently strokes Edd's hair before leaning in to kiss his temple, causing him to stir a bit. He blinks slowly up at the man, his brow furrowed.

"How about you get a little more comfortable?" Terry whispers, nodding towards the pillows as he continues petting Edd's hair.

Closing his eyes, Edd nods with a content sigh before pushing himself up. Moaning sleepily, he crawls on his hands and knees to the pillows and settles in under the covers. Turning the t.v. off, Terry grabs the pizza box and takes it to the kitchen, storing the leftovers in the fridge. He grabs a bottle of water as well before returning to the bedroom, where he strips down to his boxers. Shutting off the lights, he lays down beside him and wraps his arms around Edd's middle, nuzzling his cheek and pulling the small body against his own. Edd squirms a little from his slumber, but ultimately relents, curling up with his back to the man.

Well, it's not snuggled in his arms and returning his affections, but it'll do.

For now.


	36. Ch 35 - Drag Bro's Feet

So warm…Fuck, he could lie here forever. Sighing softly, he bows his head further to nuzzle the top of Edd's head. The coarse, tangled hair submits against his cheek and caresses his skin affectionately. As he pulls the delicate little body closer to his own, he waves away the consciousness that's reeling him in. _Just a few more minutes._ He tries to settle back into his heavenly slumber, but a tiny voice in his head begins to grow louder as it reminds him of his pressing obligations. He's got to get up. Got to work. Got to earn the money.

Got to avoid giving Mike or whoever he might send any reason to come calling on him.

With a sigh, he forces his eyes to open. He's not totally sure what time it is. He forgot to set an alarm the night before. Glancing down at Edd, he curses his work schedule again. His little darling had turned towards him at some point in the night to cling to him. _Did the movie scare him that bad?_ That's probably the most likely answer, but he decides instead that it must be because Edd's just too shy to show him his affections just yet. It's easier to admit to those desires in the late hours of the night, when only the darkness can bear witness, after all.

With a grimace and a suppressed groan, Terry untangles himself from Edd's weak grip and tucks him back in. The boy stirs a bit and nuzzles the pillow with a soft, sleepy moan before settling back down. Terry grits his teeth, squashing down the desire bubbling up in him to rip the sheets away and ravage the perfect, sleeping form. To once again marvel at the sensation of that blessed skin upon his own and worship the body that instilled such intense desire with him.

But, of course, he doesn't. Never mind the fact that he's under a time constraint — Edd would never forgive him. Everything he's been working so hard to achieve would be lost. He'd have to go back to barbaric techniques to get what he wants. And he'd never hear the blessed words he so longs for from his Princess again.

No, as much as he hates it, patience will earn him the better reward. His desires will be satisfied in due time, he reminds himself, and it'll be even better as Edd begins to want him back. With a sigh, he does at least lean over him to place a tender kiss to his temple. Again, Edd stirs a bit, but doesn't wake, sighing softly as he returns to dreamland.

With that out of the way, Terry gathers his clothes for the day, catching sight of the time. Luck seems to be on his side today, as it seems that he's got more than enough time to get both a shower _and_ breakfast in, but it's probably best not to dawdle anyway. As silently as possibly, he retreats to the bathroom, locking the bedroom door behind him, of course.

He tries, as he bathes, to make the process as quick as possible. However, he can't stop his thoughts from wandering to the precious boy sleeping soundly amidst his sheets. The water has washed away most of Edd's scent and the gentle touch of his skin from his senses, but the image of his peaceful expression and limp, prone body is as clear as day.

Oh well… _It's not like I've got any other option to get off right now_ …

His breathing becomes labored as he strokes himself to erection, leaning heavily on his hand against the wall. His mind does laps between each heavenly scene that has been burned into his memory. Every wanton moan made by that sweet little voice. Every time Edd would arch his back or clench his toes against the pleasure accosting him. Every time those delicate hands would cling to him. Every time his pretty face would scrunch up in pain and a denial of pleasure. Every time their lips would meet so passionately. _Closer…_ He licks his drying lips, groaning as his movements quicken. His breath is damn near impossible to get back and the water is starting to get cold. Shutting his eyes tight, he focuses entirely on the memory of Edd's face at the very peak of climax so that he can finally reach his own. As he comes down, resting his forehead against the wall of the shower, he grits his teeth in disgust.

 _It's not the same…_

When he's composed himself again, he gives himself another quick once-over with the soap before shutting off the water. Then it's back into the familiar routine of drying off and throwing on his clothes, after which he heads straight for the kitchen. A quick glance at the clock shows that he'd not wasted _too_ much time in the shower. Still just enough time for breakfast.

He cooks up a handful of bacon strips and a couple of eggs each, feeling a bit more refreshed than before. After preparing a couple of plates, he returns to the bedroom with them. Edd's still sleeping as he closes the door behind him. He decides not to lock up for now — he'll be leaving soon anyway, so why bother? Instead, he approaches the bed and sets the plates aside. Leaning over Edd, he places a kiss to his cheek, making him groan a little as he's beckoned from sleep. As a clincher, Terry grabs a strip of bacon from Edd's plate to wave under his nose. That gets his attention and Edd blinks his eyes open with a pout.

"Hungry?" Terry teases, as Edd reaches feebly for the food that's held just out of his reach.

Edd groans back before pushing himself up. Brow furrowed, he looks over the plates.

"You made…breakfast…?" he asks softly as he sits up straight.

"Sure," Terry retorts, "Gettin' ready for a long day. I figured we could both use somethin' to eat."

Edd hums a bit as he reaches for one of the plates and a fork. Breakfast is silent for them; a result of Terry's time constraint and Edd's lingering fatigue. As their meals dwindle, however, Edd casts him a shy glance.

"Do you… _really_ have to work today?" he asks, swallowing thickly.

Terry savors the last bite of his breakfast, garnished perfectly by that little question. He tries not to show his joy as he swallows.

"Yes, I do."

Edd bows his head a little; "Would it…be possible for you to maybe…call in sick or something?"

Ooh, now that's even better.

"Unfortunately, no, I can't," Terry retorts, "My boss has been on my ass ever since that little stunt you pulled. If I called off, he'd get suspicious and come a-callin' and it'd be a whole other fuckin' problem."

That deflates Edd's mood even more. Okay, so maybe mentioning 'the incident' wasn't the best way to respond to his question.

"So…" Edd murmurs, "you're not just…using this as an excuse to avoid being…here?"

With a smirk, Terry gently tilts Edd's chin up, drawing Edd's bashful gaze back to him.

"Are you gonna miss me that much, sweetheart?" he purrs, stroking Edd's jaw with his thumb.

Whining softly, Edd pushes his hand away.

"N-No," he insists, hugging his middle, "Y-You just…act like being around me is so much of a chore. I was just…wondering if that's what this was…"

 _Okay, didn't expect that…_ Brow furrowed, Terry leans towards him a little.

"And why would you think that?"

Shrugging, Edd stares down at the bed.

"You appeared to be disinterested yesterday while we watched those movies," he answers matter-of-factly, "Why shouldn't I assume that you felt the same about just being here?"

Terry sighs a bit, rubbing his eyes. _Definitely didn't expect that…_ Taking a breath, he gently cups the sides of Edd's head to look into his eyes.

"C'mon, Princess," he coos, "I'd spend every waking moment with you if I could." He leans a little closer. "You know that."

Edd jerks away before their lips can meet, drawing Terry to grimace.

"Anyway," he grumbles, rising to his feet, "Once my shift ends, I'll be off till after the first of the year, so we can spend _all_ our time together when I get home."

No answer to that as Edd stares down at the bed. As Terry adjusts himself a bit, Edd seems to find his voice.

"May I… _please_ leave this bedroom?" he asks feebly.

"You wanna stay in the bathroom instead?" Terry suggests.

"No…" Edd answers, "I…I want to…be able to come and go from this room _and_ the bathroom."

Terry sighs again, clenching his fists; "Princess…"

"Please," Edd begs, clasping his hands together and gazing up at him with those pretty, puppy-dog eyes, "I promise I won't leave. I just feel so stifled in here. _Please._ "

With a groan, Terry pauses to think it over, dragging his hand over his face. Edd's behavior _has_ improved. He's certainly more dependent on him than before. Is that enough, though? He _could_ lock the front door even tighter — maybe add the padlock from the bathroom door. Eh, but then there's the windows — he definitely doesn't have time to deal with _them_. Not to mention; the phone — he'd have to unplug it, which might be a problem later if he doesn't remember to plug it back in. And that prospect is definitely likely if he's focused so heavily on Edd. Not that unplugging the phone would even be enough, of course: Edd could start screaming. And outside of this room…

"No," he answers finally. As Edd opens his mouth to beg him again, Terry adds; "At least not today. Not when I can't be here to keep an eye on you. I'm sorry, but you'll have to be patient."

That's not enough to satisfy his impertinent little Princess, though, and he pouts back at him.

"What about tomorrow?"

Terry looks him over carefully, crossing his arms over his chest.

"We'll see," he replies, "Now, you wanna make a quick trip to the bathroom before I go?"

With a shrug, Edd slides off of the bed and joins Terry by the door. They're silent as Terry escorts Edd by the hand. He doesn't join him in the bathroom, though, and allows Edd a moment of privacy to relieve himself and brush his teeth or whatever. When the door opens up again, Terry turns to him with a question.

"Would you rather stay here?" he offers, "Get a shower or somethin'?"

Edd shakes his head, rubbing his eye; "I think I'd like to go back to sleep…"

So, it's back to the bedroom with him. Terry allows Edd to curl up under the covers before leaning over him to place a gentle kiss to his forehead.

"I'll be back in a few hours," he states softly, stroking Edd's cheek.

Edd nods, his gaze unfocused and averted away from him. With a sigh, Terry leans in to give him a quick peck on his lips before standing straight again.

"See you soon, darlin'."

With that, he snags his keys and leaves the room, hoping to avoid looking at him any longer lest he crumble and crawl under the covers with him.

* * *

Jesus, could this take any goddamn longer? His back is fucking killing him already and whenever Mike opens his fucking mouth, he finds his attention severely waning. Not that he was hyper-focused on work to begin with; too distracted wondering what to do about Edd. He's gotten the kid to open up a lot more to him with his little acquiesces and he'd like to think Edd's finally internalized the idea that no one back in Peach Creek wants him — that he has nothing and no one else to turn to. But then again, he's also not getting any goddamn affection from the little Princess by being so damn accommodating. Instead, his doting and compliance is providing a constant reminder that he's being treated more like a parent than a lover.

Fuckin' bullshit.

His first fifteen minute break sneaks up on him, but he's unable to head back to the trailer. Paul and Russ decide they want to talk his ear off instead. Nothing of real note. _What's happening? Why've you been holed up in your trailer?Ain't seen ya at the bar in fuckin' forever. You hidin' something? Are you even listening?_ In order: _fuck off, fuck you, I got better shit to do, see all of the above,_ and _yes, but I don't give a shit._ The cigarettes helped to drown out _that_ conversation well enough, at least.

After a few more hours of tedium, he gets his lunch break. They've taken care of the food shipment and most of the inventory — mostly all of the prepackaged food that require less-extensive storage — and after lunch, they'll finish that up and start taking care of the maintenance inventory, which will be a whole other headache entirely.

He manages to break away from the others and heads home to eat, making his way to the bedroom first. Might as well ask what Edd wants to eat. There, he finds Edd sitting up in bed, his attention only just tearing away from the television to glance his way when Terry walks in. The screen is displaying a horribly dull-looking snail…moving(?) along a mossy log while a dry narration plays over it.

"Enjoying your movie?" Terry grumbles, remaining at the door.

Edd nods, a small smile on his face as he pauses the slow-moving film; "It's fascinating. I've only just started it, but I'm thoroughly enjoying the mental stimulation."

Rolling his eyes, Terry feigns interest as best he can; "That's nice…"

Before he can ask about food, Edd throws his legs over the side of the bed.

"May I please use the lavatory?"

Right, he _had_ been gone longer than he expected…

"Oh…yeah," Terry shrugs, "C'mon."

He escorts Edd to the bathroom, but stops him from closing the door.

"Look, I've only got about half an hour for lunch," he states, "So, what do you wanna eat?"

In response, Edd shrugs; "Anything is fine…"

That's enough of an answer, so Terry lets Edd shut the door. Before walking away, Terry then decides to secure it with the combination lock before returning to the kitchen. It won't take long to prepare the sandwiches he has in mind to make, but he's not sure he's willing to take the chance to let Edd wander out of the bathroom just yet.

It feels like he's on autopilot as he spreads the peanut butter and jelly over the slices of bread. He doesn't feel like heating anything up or making anything else for himself. Just needs the bare minimum to get him through the rest of his shift. Placing the sandwiches on a single plate once they're ready, he returns to the bathroom to let Edd out. He looks a bit annoyed when the door opens, pouting a little with his arms crossed.

"Don't gimme that look," Terry scoffs, grabbing his arm to lead him back to the bedroom.

There's no response to that, and as he ushers the boy back into the bedroom, he can tell that Edd doesn't have any arguments to make, but that he's not willing to let his irritation go. As such, as soon as he climbs back onto the bed, he resumes his film, clearly intent on eating in silence. Terry wants to be irritated about it. He wants to grab the remote and turn the t.v. off and demand Edd give him his full attention.

But instead, he begrudgingly sets the plate down and sits on the edge of the bed with his own meal. His own thoughts and his chewing distract him from the droning narration as he broods. So much for getting any sort of reprieve from his shitty day…

His thoughts drift back to the prospect of letting Edd out of the bedroom like he keeps badgering him for. As long as he's under strict supervision, it wouldn't be _that_ bad? He could take precautions, like with the phone, and locking the door tighter. He could gag Edd like he used to. He could cuff his wrists so that he can't take the gag off or run as easily.

He sighs a bit. But he doesn't _want_ to do that. Resting his head in his hand and leaning with his elbow on his knee, he tries to quell his growing headache. No, he doesn't want to restrain him again. Doing so would only result in making Edd sad — completely negating the point of letting him out in the first place. And, of course, Edd would be horribly upset with him and may view it as some sort of betrayal. Which…yeah, Terry admits that, in a way, it would be. So what the hell should he do…?

" _Are you okay?_ "

He glances to his left, where Edd has moved to sit beside him on his knees. He's looking up at him, his brow furrowed. With a grimace, Terry shoves the last of his sandwich into his mouth and rises to his feet.

"M'fine," he grumbles, walking to the door.

He's feeling too damn irritable to actually talk to Edd any longer and fuck if he wants to say anything he'll end up regretting.

"I'll be back later," he states as he approaches the door, "Hopefully, it won't be too late."

" _Okay…_ " he hears Edd mumble. As he opens the door, Edd speaks up one last time. " _I…I hope the rest of your shift goes smoothly._ "

Taken aback by the gentle well-wishing, Terry stops in the doorway. He glances back at Edd, his brow cocked as his little Princess fidgets shyly. He sighs, regretting the cold way he'd addressed Edd before.

"Thanks…" he replies softly.

He still doesn't return to the bed or to even embrace his little darling again, instead walking out of the room. As he locks the door behind him, he's overwhelmed with his desire to cast aside his work and devote the rest of the day with Edd. To apologize for his coldness and spend all his time making it up to him. To give him all the attention he's craving and put the smile back on his face. To avoid becoming like the parents who would so callously abandon their perfect child emotionally in favor of their own careers. He holds the key before the lock, his breathing uneven. Maybe he could convince Mike he'd come down with something? Maybe he'd buy it since he really is feeling as lousy as he is?

No. Of course he wouldn't.

With a sigh, he pulls himself away from the door and trudges out of the trailer to get back to work. However, his thoughts don't follow his body, leaving him on autopilot again as he returns to the tedious chore. Instead, his mind lingers on his earlier quandary about whether or not to let Edd out to wander the trailer. It would certainly earn him a bit of gratitude — make his Princess more and more docile, maybe even enough to…

He tries his damnedest to avoid thinking about Edd submitting to him sexually in appreciation. Not the time! He can fantasize about that later. Rather, he should plan appropriately. Even if Edd _does_ agree to sex, it'll be for naught if he's unprepared for any unfortunate contingencies.

If he's careful about it, maybe it wouldn't be so bad…He'll probably have to guard the door pretty carefully and unplug the phone, of course. But then there's the issue with Edd's screaming. He can't afford to soundproof the entire trailer — and even if he could, there's no way he could get it done before tomorrow. He could bring the television back out to the living room. Maybe some cable t.v. for the first time in months will keep Edd distracted from trying to run or scream?

Or…maybe he's setting himself up for failure by allowing this at all? Maybe Edd will indeed use it as an opportunity to completely blow his cover and escape him?

But…the new year is just around the corner, and, frankly, he still owes Edd a gift of some kind. Perhaps the risk will be worth it if it means they can start fresh?

* * *

His hopeful thoughts dwindle as the day drags its knuckles to a close. By the time he returns home, his back is aching — fuck, _everything_ is aching — and his body is making a beeline for his bed. Fuck if he doesn't want to just lie back and sleep…He has just enough foresight to grab a bag of chips and water. He definitely can't muster the strength to eat right now or prepare a meal for Edd, but he doesn't want the kid to go hungry.

As he enters the bedroom, Edd seems to be finishing up the documentary about amusement park rides. Whatever…With a yawn, Terry closes the door behind him and starts to lock up.

" _May I please have a bath?_ "

 _Dammit…_ With a sigh, Terry drops the chips off on the bed and the water on the bedside table. He escorts Edd by the hand to the bathroom and follows him in. However, he doesn't disrobe himself. As much as he'd like to enjoy a nice bath with his Princess, he decides it's not worth fighting with the kid right now. Maybe when he's not so damn tired. Instead, he takes a seat against the door, and crosses his arms over his chest.

" _Aren't you…_ " he glances up at Edd as the boy mumbles to him, "Aren't you going to make me bathe with you?"

Terry peers up at him with a grimace.

"Is that what you want?" he asks, arching his brow.

"Well…no," Edd shrugs, "But why are you—"

"Then just get on with it," Terry sighs, rubbing his eyes, "I'm fuckin' exhausted and the sooner you get your bath over with, the sooner I can go to sleep."

Edd doesn't answer for a moment, but Terry doesn't look at him. Opening his eyes is a bit of a feat right now and one he's unable to accomplish.

" _Okay…_ " he hears Edd murmur.

Moments later, the taps cry out in protest as they're turned and the pipes groan as water rushes through them. The soothing sound of running water lulls Terry further, coaxing him gently towards slumber.

 _Terry…?_

Glancing up, his attention is grabbed immediately by the sight of Edd's naked body. The bruises he'd inflicted upon him have vanished, leaving behind the perfect, porcelain skin that drove him wild. The collar glints beautifully around his neck, tickled lightly by his thick, black hair. It's just barely reached his shoulders by now and end in natural, gentle curls. He's facing away from the man, the broad expanse of his back beckoning him. The slender waist that mesh into the supple hips and thighs. Edd's little giggle draws his eyes back up to his face, where he finds the boy smiling at him.

 _Are you sure you don't want to join me?_

A shiver races down Terry's spine that spurs him to his feet. Stripping down out of his clothes like they're melting off of him, he scoops Edd up into his arms, his fatigue forgotten. Edd's arms are locked around his neck and his legs around his waist. Licking his lips, Terry leans in, as does Edd, eager to close the gap between them before they begin the best fucking bath they've ever—

" _Terry?_ "

His shoulder is nudged and then shaken, rousing him from the sleep that had taken him. With a groan, Terry holds his head, blinking his eyes open as reality sets in. Edd's standing before him, but he's fully clothed. His hair is shining lightly, still damp from his bath. _Oh._ His groans turn to a soft whine as he rubs the sleep away to push himself to his feet.

"Are you alright?"

Without offering an answer, Terry grabs Edd's hand in a feeble grip to lead him back to the bedroom. As they walk, he notices Edd's fingers tighten very slightly around his own. _Yeah right…Fuckin' dreaming again…_

While Terry locks the door behind them, Edd returns to the bed, turning off the television and grabbing the water. Though, Terry hardly notices as he undresses, dropping his clothes unceremoniously to the floor. Plaid overshirt sliding down his arms, shoes kicked off, pants shedding like a second skin and socks catching on the denim. He almost leaves the jersey, considering it to be too much effort, but ultimately shucks it off, throwing it aside. He holds his keys loosely in his hand before dropping them into the bedside table drawer to mingle and mesh with the sex toys. Then it's under the covers. He hears Edd opening the bag of chips, clearly recognizing that that's dinner for him tonight.

As Terry's body settles in to sleep, he regrets for a moment that he can't muster the will to stay awake. Fuck his job. Fuck his boss. Fuck goddamn everything. He notices Edd taking a seat against the pillows beside him to tuck into his meager meal. With a weak sigh, Terry lays his arm across Edd's waist. It's not nearly enough to hold him still, but at least he can have some semblance of embracing his Princess as he drifts off to sleep.

And what's more; he notices in his last moments of consciousness that he feels no resistance.


	37. Ch 36 - Due An Edd

Morning comes too damn soon. As Terry is driven to the waking world by the demanding growl of his empty stomach, he wishes consciousness would kindly fuck off for just a bit longer. Of course it's not that easy. His hunger forbids it. But at least, as he groggily opens his eyes, he's rewarded for his submission to wake. Nestled at his side and with one arm draped lazily over his middle is his precious Sleeping Beauty. His perfect face is relaxed in his sleep and his cheek is nearly blessing his shoulder with unconscious contact.

Biting his lip, Terry fights against the growing urge to touch him. To swap their positions so that he is bearing down upon the sleeping boy. To pepper his lips and cheeks with affectionate kisses and whisper sweet nothings into his ears. The temptation is torture, but he can't give in to it. He can't bear the thought of disrupting his darling's peaceful slumber. Not when he looks so fucking radiant like this. Not when he looks so happy just to be in his arms. His stomach gives another impatient growl, reminding him that he still hasn't eaten since lunch yesterday.

With a repressed sigh, Terry carefully pulls himself away from the sleeping child. In his absence, Edd clings to one of the pillows, nuzzling it before settling back down. Terry groans as he slips out of the bedroom, reminding himself that he's got all the time in the world to spend with Edd today. Just gotta get some food to quell his incessant hunger and then it's back to bed to snuggle up with his Princess.

He doesn't want to prepare much — a few slices of toast and jam would be enough, right? — but his stomach guides him to cook eggs and bacon on top of that. The succulent aroma of the cooking bacon sends a pang of overeager hunger through him and he decides to add another couple of strips and at least one more egg to his mini feast.

" _Terry?_ "

He tenses at the tiny voice that calls to him from the hall. Abandoning the sizzling stove, he races over to the hallway and peers down the corridor. Edd's peeking out at him from the bedroom and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Shit! He'd been so distracted by his hunger that he didn't think to lock the door behind him!

"Get back in there!" he warns through his teeth, pointing menacingly at the bedroom.

Edd pouts back at him and calls back softly; "Are you making breakfast?"

"Yes!" Terry hisses back, "Now, get—"

"May I please have some?" Edd begs, hunching his shoulders and wrapping an arm around his middle, "I'm so hungry…"

Terry opens his mouth to snap back at him when he hears the sizzling get louder. Glancing back, he sees that the unmanned skillets are in need of desperate attention to prevent burning. The toast pops as well, adding to his stress. With a groan, he glares back at Edd.

"Fine, fine!" he snaps, "I'll bring you breakfast. Now, get _back_ in that room!"

Edd's shoulders fall, but he obeys, closing the door behind him. Satisfied, Terry returns swiftly to the stove, turning the strips of bacon and testing the bubbling eggs that are threatening to burn. When he's satisfied that they're cooked, he places the eggs onto the plate he'd set out and removes the crisping strips of bacon onto a plate covered by a paper towel. Next is to replace the toast with fresh slices of bread and then garnish the toast with butter and jam on either slice.

As he cooks up a full second portion for Edd, he munches absentmindedly on the eggs that have been cooked. He also keeps an ear out for any sounds of escape: the bedroom door opening, Edd's little footsteps creeping down the hall, the locks on the front door being undone. Sure, he could run back, grab his keys and lock Edd in the bedroom, but then he'd have to leave the stove…Besides, it's almost like a test — one that may result in letting Edd out for _real_ later.

To his relief, none of those sounds reach his ears and the occasional glance around provides the peace of mind he needs to finish cooking. His own plate of eggs is nearly half-eaten, so he adds more bacon for himself. If Edd wants more, he'll have to ask nicely.

When everything's ready and the stove has been turned off, he returns to the bedroom, plates in hand. Edd's got the t.v. back on and is resting on his stomach, propping his head up with his hands as he gazes at the screen. As Terry shuts the door behind him, Edd glances up at him before rising to sit on his knees. Taking a seat beside Edd, Terry can see that he's put the ride documentary back on. It seems he wanted to finish it, as the credits have begun rolling over footage of a 'Monster' type of ride. A couple of close-up shots show the mechanisms at work, specifically the rotating and undulating arms of the spider-like ride.

Maybe he'll be able to let Edd see the ride in person one day?

For now, though, he sits back to eat, feeling a bit disgruntled. He's glad to have finally silenced his growling stomach, but he's probably missed out on his opportunity to lie with Edd like before. After all, he doubts Edd would be at all interested in indulging his desires after he'd been so hostile. Oh well, maybe they can get back to that sometime later.

When they've made it through most of the food on their plates, Edd looks up at him with a pout.

"You're still angry with me, aren't you?"

Terry squints at him as he swallows his bite.

"For what?" he asks, lowering his gaze back to the last few morsels on his plate.

No answer for a moment. Edd needs to think about it? When he glances up again, Edd's fidgeting instead of eating.

"You weren't…here when I woke up…" he mumbles, his little shoulders hunched, "And I smelled the food so I…I wanted to…to see if…" He stutters, wringing his hands together. "Y-You didn't give me _anything_ to eat last night."

Terry grimaces; "I'm sorry I didn't _make_ you anything or bring anything home. But you had _something_ to eat. _I_ went to bed hungry."

"Who's fault is that?" Edd retorts.

It's harder than he wants to admit to not snap at him for that, but Terry manages to hold back his irritation. As if Edd has any idea what kind've day he had yesterday. As if he has any idea what he's feeling right fucking _now._ But he doesn't want to fight. He's fought with him too much. He can't stomach anymore.

"Whatever," Terry grumbles, scooping up the last of his breakfast, "You got your breakfast and you didn't actually leave the room. It's fine."

He glares down at the plate instead of looking at Edd as he chews.

"But, you _are_ still angry…" Edd notes after a moment.

Terry groans, dragging his hand down his face.

"I am _not_ angry," he retorts, "I'm just…" He sighs, unable to think of a better excuse than; "tired."

Looking back at Edd, he finds him poking and prodding at his food.

"Of me…?" he mumbles, almost too quiet for Terry to hear.

"What did you say?" Terry demands, his tone carrying a threatening edge.

Shaking his head, Edd pushes the food away; "Nothing…"

"You ain't gonna finish?" Terry asks, picking the plate up.

There's not much left — a few hearty bites at most. Edd shakes his head again, scooting back towards the pillows.

"I've lost my appetite."

Without another word, Terry takes the dishes back to the kitchen. Upon reaching the sink, he leaves his own plate amidst the dirty dishes and polishes off Edd's meal. He digs his fingers into his hair, glaring at the counter top. He's fucking up again. He can feel it. Now he really has no choice. He'll have to let Edd out. If it means getting out of the rut they're in, he'll do it.

Setting the plate in the sink with the rest, he returns to the bedroom, his plan in mind. Edd's ejected the tape (which Terry knows without asking he also rewound) and he's replacing it into it's rental case. Terry approaches the t.v., drawing Edd to look up at him as he sets the tape aside.

"I suppose you'd like to go back to reading?" he asks, picking up the book left on the bedside table.

Terry shrugs; "If you want." He places his hands on the television. "But, I was thinkin' we could check out what's on t.v."

Edd gives him a curious look; "I thought you said we couldn't get cable in here?"

Drumming his fingers on the t.v. set, Terry returns his look with a knowing one of his own.

"We can't."

It takes a moment, but realization soon dawns on Edd's face. He gasps softly.

"Y-You mean it?!" he breathes, sitting up on his knees, "Y-You'll let me—"

"Calm down, _Princess,_ " Terry grumbles, "I got a few conditions and if you wanna get out of this room, you'll agree to _all of them._ Got it?"

Taken aback, Edd doesn't seem to know how to answer for a moment. He eventually nods, giving a timid; "Y-Yes, of course."

"Good," Terry grimaces a bit, "So, Rule Number One: No talking — not unless I say so, in which case, you're gonna be quiet about it."

Already off to a rough start as Edd pouts back at him in response to that. _Too bad._

"Rule Number Two," Terry continues, "No running around. You can walk around all you want, but you're gonna be quiet. So no running. In fact, let's just say 'No being loud at _all._ ' A mouse oughta be makin' more noise than you."

Edd nods to show he's listening, though he's still not pleased with what he's hearing.

"Number Three; no _touching_ anything," Terry glances to the door uneasily, "You don't need to be messing with anything while you're out of this room and, frankly, if you're touchin' _anything_ out there, it better be _me._ "

A shudder runs through Edd at that, but he nods, glancing up at him.

"Number Four…" Terry sighs, rubbing his eyes, "No going outside. Period. And if anyone comes to the door, you better get your ass back here or to the bathroom. No excuses. No questions."

Standing straight again, Terry glares down at him.

"And if you break _any_ of these rules…" he snarls, his fingers curling, "There will be punishment like never before. You got that?"

Shuddering a little, Edd nods, hunching his shoulders. Satisfied, Terry turns back to the t.v. and walks around to unplug everything.

"Good," he murmurs, "For now, just sit tight while I move this back out."

As he loads everything up, he notices Edd out of the corner of his eye, watching him carefully.

"Would you like some help?" he offers, his voice sweeter than usual.

Terry sends a suspicious glance his way; "'Preciate the offer, Princess, but I got it under control."

Once he's got the cords and remote stored in the cabinet, he begins rolling it to the door. Edd rises to follow him, a smile on his face. Terry stops and turns to him.

"I told you to sit," he commands.

"But—"

"You'll wait till I come back," Terry specifies, "Now, sit down."

With a bit of a huff, Edd obeys, retreating to the bed and sitting down again. Terry then wastes no time in rolling the television out of the room and closing the door behind him. It's a quick setup, putting the cabinet back in its place and plugging everything back in. He tests the remote and the channels, satisfied that they're working well enough. Once that's done, he unplugs the phone line before returning to the bedroom to retrieve Edd. To his delight, he finds the boy still sitting on the bed, kicking his feet as he waits.

"Alright," he announces, grabbing his robe and throwing it on, "Let's go."

The bright, excited smile returns as Edd hops down from the bed and approaches the door. He starts to walk past him, at which point, Terry grabs his arm.

"What?!" Edd gasps, struggling a little.

"Patience, Princess," Terry snarls grimacing down at him, "If you think I'm letting you wander around out there without me, you got another thing coming."

Edd pouts, but allows Terry to escort him by the arm into the main living area. Terry then reluctantly releases him and makes his way to the front door, which he takes sentry over. He watches Edd like a hawk, following him with his gaze as the boy pads lightly into the kitchen. A look of discomfort flashes over his face and he glances at Terry with a furrowed brow.

"What?" Terry asks, recognizing that he seems to have something to say.

Edd gestures towards the mess in the sink; "Would you like me to take care of that? Or clean anything else for you?"

The notion of Edd bustling about and cleaning like a little housewife sends a shiver down his spine. Damn straight he'd like to see that. But, of course…

"No," he replies shortly, "I told you not to touch anything."

With a pout, Edd turns away; "I know how to cook too…"

Dear god — this is agonizing.

"That's nice," Terry musters through his teeth, "The answer's still no."

He swears he sees the boy roll his eyes as he retreats to the t.v., content that there's not much else he'll be able to do at the moment. Taking a seat on the worn-in couch, he picks up the remote and flips it back on. Terry had left it on some news channel before heading to the bedroom. A couple of anchors are discussing plans for tomorrow night's New Year's party and are joyfully bantering about watching the ball drop in the Big Apple, including a bit of playful flirting about who they'll be lockin' lips with when the clock strikes midnight.

That's about as much as they get from the news story before Edd starts flipping through channels, looking for something to catch his interest. Terry, however, doesn't move from the door. He can't risk it. Not after everything else Edd's tried. He wants to be close to the door — ready to catch him and restrain him. Sure, he could be closer to Edd instead — keeping a firm grip on him and restraining him preemptively — but Terry's decided that he wants to give him at least a little space. To at least _pretend_ that he's giving him a bit of freedom.

Edd doesn't seem to recognize it as such, however, and glances up at him with a frown.

"Wouldn't you like to sit down and watch television with me?"

The question startles Terry and nearly pulls him from the door. Fuck _yes_ he wants to sit and cuddle up with his little darling. So much so that he ignores the fact that Edd just broke rule number one. He's wanted to just hold him and cradle him all _fucking morning._ However, he forces himself back with a grumble.

"No…"

Pouting, Edd turns to him a little more; "Isn't that what you want?"

"I'm _fine!_ " Terry snaps, glaring at him.

The sudden shout makes Edd shrink away before he bows his head. Dejectedly, he settles finally on some cartoons and pulls his legs up to his chest, watching through his knees.

Terry's not sure how long it goes on for. All he knows is that, after several of those shows — so…maybe an hour? — he's starting to feel his legs going weak. His back is aching from leaning against the door and he's bored as fuck just standing here. Maybe he should grab a chair? At the very least, he could give his fucking feet a rest. No! The second he leaves this door, Edd might make a break for it. He's got to bear with it.

It feels like another hour passes by the time Edd looks up at him again, looking more concerned than before.

"Are you _sure_ you don't want to sit with me?" he offers, "You can pick what we watch?"

"I told you not to talk!" Terry snaps back, "And no! I said I'm fine!"

Edd's look hardens a bit and, with a sigh, he rises to his feet and turns the t.v. off before turning back to the hallway. Terry watches him, suspicious as he walks back down the hall.

"Where are _you_ going?" he demands, stopping him, "You _wanted_ to be out here."

Hugging his arms, Edd shrugs, his head bowed.

"My apologies…" he mumbles, "I don't…really feel like it anymore…"

Gritting his teeth, Terry prepares to launch into some tirade about how fickle Edd's being when a knock on the door behind him stuns him to silence. _Shit! Shit! Shit!_ He whips around, wide-eyed in his hopes to catch a glimpse of the sudden visitor through the grimy window while also ducking away from it. Who the _fuck_ would come calling on him right now?! He can just barely make out Mike's familiar features through the fog. _The fuck does_ _ **he**_ _want?!_ Turning back to Edd, he finds the boy turned to him fully, his shoulders hunched and his fingers wringing together. He's staring at the door with wide eyes. Terry looks between the window and Edd, still stunned. Could Mike see him from there?! He shoots Edd a fierce glare and points down the hall.

"Get going!" he hisses through his teeth, desperately trying to stop himself from yelling.

To his horror, Edd hesitates. His eyes flicker over him as he weighs the pros and cons of obeying. The horror dissipates — thank fuck — as he then scurries further down the hall and into the bathroom where he shuts and — Terry fuckin' prays — locks the door behind him.

Taking a breath to calm himself, Terry pushes himself off the door and adjusts the robe to cover himself better before turning around to greet the nosy fucker who has decided to pay him a visit. And there he is; the boss-man himself, standing on his little stoop and staring at him with a raised brow. Terry looks him over before opening his mouth to say something.

Mike speaks first; "Why ain't you answerin' your phone?"

Terry's stomach drops. He was afraid this would happen. He scoffs.

"Shit, I ain't heard the phone ring all morning," he forces a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck, "Fuckin' phone company must've cut me off. I'll have to head down there n' make sure the check didn't bounce or somethin'."

"Mm…" Mike hums, still giving him a suspicious look.

When he says nothing more, Terry sighs.

"Do you seriously need me today?" he groans, "C'mon, man — I thought it was my day off."

"It is," Mike retorts, handing him a sheet of paper, "You forgot to grab your upcoming schedule yesterday and I ain't about to let you skip work just cuz you don't know when to fuckin' _be_ there."

Surprised, Terry accepts the paper, which does indeed have the detailed schedule for after the first of the year.

"Right…" he mumbles, glancing back into the trailer and down the hall, "Thanks, I guess…"

He keeps anticipating the bathroom door to open. For Edd to saunter out and expose his presence and blow the entire operation.

" _Y'alright?_ " Mike asks, drawing Terry's attention back to him, "You seem kinda distracted lately."

With a sigh, Terry rubs his eyes; "M'fine…Just got a lot on my mind…" He looks to him, resting his hand on the door frame and leaning heavily against it. "Did you need anything else?" He glances back down at the paper. "I don't gotta work tomorrow, do I?"

"Nah," Mike replies with a shrug, "I'm givin' everyone New Year's Eve n' a couple days after off. Y'know how it is. Everybody'll be too busy gettin' drunk and nursin' their hangovers the next day. It'll be the same for me and since I'm pretty sure none of us will be in any shape to do any actual work, there's no point to putting it on the schedule."

"Right…" Terry mumbles, "Well…thanks, I guess."

"Yeah…" Mike pauses, scratching the back of his neck, "Hey, some of the guys are comin' by for drinks tomorrow to ring in the new year. Dave and Adam'll be there and we're gonna just shoot the shit, if you're interested…"

Terry scoffs; "Why should I care?"

"Just thought I'd mention it while I'm here."

Rolling his eyes, Terry crosses his arms over his chest; "Thanks for the offer, I guess, but if it's all the same to you, I'd rather 'ring in the new year' alone. I get enough of you fuckers on a daily basis in the park…"

Mike responds to that with a shrug.

"Well, can't say I didn't ask," he states, turning away, "Enjoy your booze and your new year."

"Thanks…" Terry grumbles, watching him walk away before shutting the door behind him.

As he secures the door with the multitude of locks, he breathes a sigh of relief. It was too close a call. He knew bringing Edd out here was a bad idea — his cover was nearly blown all because he decided to be _nice_ to the kid.

Although…

He stands straight and turns back to the bathroom, his brow furrowed. Edd had remained hidden. He was silent the entire time and Mike showed no signs of noticing him, so he clearly hadn't walked out or even opened the door. But…why? He'd had the perfect opportunity. After everything that he's done — after every plea and demand to go home and after he'd tried so hard to run from him — why, then, would he silence himself and let that opportunity slip through his fingers? The tension weighs heavily on his chest with each step as he approaches the door. The possibility that Edd could finally be coming around — that he could _want_ to be here and stay with him beckons him.

He has to know.

Rapping his knuckles on the door, he nearly holds his breath as he waits for Edd to answer. He could just barge in on him, but the apprehension is making him hesitate. Moments later, Edd opens the door, peeking up at him shyly.

"Are they gone…?" he asks softly.

"Yeah," Terry replies, crossing his arms over his chest uncomfortably, "And you stayed in here the whole time…"

Shrugging, Edd nods, fidgeting a little with the hem of the jersey that's covering him.

"Why?" Terry asks through his teeth.

The sudden question startles the boy, drawing Edd to look up at him in concern.

"Isn't that what you _told_ me to do?" he asks, his tone becoming defensive.

"Of course it is," Terry retorts, clenching his fist, "But…I don't get it. You had a chance to get out of here and go home. To try to leave me again. Why didn't you take it?"

Again, Edd shrugs, bringing his hand up to paw at the door and staring down at the floor.

"I don't…" he mumbles, his fingers curling against the wood, "I don't…know. I just…couldn't."

He shifts his weight from one foot to another, looking like he wants to say something more, but that he's holding back. Or maybe that he doesn't know how to say it. Either way, whatever he's got on his mind has brought tears to his eyes. Whatever kept him from exposing his presence to Mike, it's made him upset.

With a sigh, Edd stands straight and opens the door a bit more.

"Anyway…" he continues, "I'll go back to the room now. I think…I'd like to lie down."

Before Edd can slip away, Terry extends his arm, blocking his path and grabbing his shoulder.

"No."

Edd gazes up at him, confused; "You'd rather me stay in the bathroom?"

"No," Terry glances at him out of the corner of his eye, "I'd…rather you come back out to watch some t.v."

Unsurprisingly, Edd gives him a skeptical look.

"Are you just going to behave like a prison warden again?"

 _Shit, I deserved that…_ Terry sighs, turning to him fully.

"No," he repeats, gritting his teeth as he searches for the right words, "I…trust that you won't run."

Still, Edd looks uncertain, but seems to be coming around a little.

"May I please," he pauses, searching Terry's face, "clean up the dishes as well?"

Terry groans a little; "Fine. If that's what you _really_ want. We'll wash the dishes and then sit down for some t.v. Okay?"

Finally, Edd smiles up at him. That sweet little grin that lets his gap peek out, but restrained enough that it can't be totally exposed. Disregarding his earlier reservations, Terry steps aside, placing his hand on Edd's back and letting him lead the way to the kitchen.

They spend a short amount of time washing the dishes. Edd calls dibs on actually washing and scrubbing while Terry is given the task of drying. He might've been upset by the idea of taking orders from the kid, but Edd's conviction to clean is more delightful than his fuckin' pride. Besides, he's able to focus on watching Edd while he absentmindedly drags the dishtowel over the tableware, so it works out well enough. What's more, Edd starts going on and on about how he could clean the trailer for him — different organizational tips, strategies for tackling difficult stains, simple solutions for homemade air fresheners, and more. It's adorable, to say the least, and he almost regrets when he sets the last, cleaned dish aside.

Ah, but after that, they retreat to the couch, where Edd switches on the television. As Terry sits down, Edd settles in beside him, pulling his legs up and curling them beneath him. He spends a few minutes flipping through channels, looking for anything of interest. Terry, meanwhile, puts his feet up on the coffee table and rests his arms along the top of the couch. He doesn't try to touch his little prize just yet. As bad as he wants to, he also wants to see what Edd will do on his own. When he settles finally on some cheesy sitcom, Edd reclines against the back of the couch.

The rest of their day is spent like this. Sitting on the couch and watching whatever they happen to flip to. Edd eventually relaxes with him, leaning against Terry's chest to get comfortable. He's not fully embracing him by any means, but he's not as uncomfortable eliminating the space between them. During their breaks for lunch and dinner, which Edd eagerly helps with, they talk about the shows they've sat through. Edd, in particular, has plenty to say about the logic of a couple of the more outlandish story lines. It's delightful as fuck and leaves Terry relieved and relaxed for the first time in weeks.

And Edd…to see his little darling so happy is the real reward. He's not sure how real any of it is — if it's all just some ruse Edd's employed to lower his defenses or not. But he doesn't care. Edd had the chance to leave him and he didn't. Now he's spending time with him with a smile on his face. Did the revelation about his family and friends really make all the difference? Shit, he really should've tried that sooner. Could've saved him so much anguish. Ah well…Edd's happy to be with him and he at last appears to be enjoying his company.

If there is a heaven, it surely can't compare to this.

They finish the night with a quick update from the news. Another announcement about the ball dropping in Times Square with some kind've estimate about the size of the incoming crowd. Edd glances up at Terry with an eager grin.

"May we watch that tomorrow night?" he asks, his eyes pleading.

Terry doesn't really have to think about his answer. Edd's been on his best behavior and the happy look on his face is too wonderful to see. Not to mention; he said 'we'.

"Sure we can," Terry shrugs back, cupping his chin, "We'll welcome the new year together."

 _Just the way it should be._


	38. Ch 37 - Set Alarm Bro Ringing

What bliss…That's the only word for it. Brief flashes of the night before blip in and out of his memory as the sweetest dreams he's had in ages. Memories of escorting a sleepy little Edd back to bed — stopping to brush their teeth, of course — lying beside him for hours as he whispers his affections into his ears and as he peppers kisses along his cheeks and forehead, basking in the lovely smile that graces Edd's adorable face. He hardly remembers drifting to sleep, but he knows he did so with his little Princess nestled sweetly in his arms. Not shyly turned away to show Terry his back. Not reluctantly pulled towards him into a forced embrace. No; turned towards him with his head resting comfortably in the man's neck and shoulder.

Yes, bliss is just the right word.

That is, however, until Terry slips briefly from the bonds of sleep. As he reaches around for the body that he can no longer feel against his own. Pawing at the sheets until his eyes blink open. The sheets are bare. The bed; empty. He bolts upright, his eyes wide. The door; slightly ajar.

"Goddammit!" he hisses, throwing the sheets and comforter off of himself as he jumps to his feet.

He knew this would happen! God _dammit_ — he fucking _knew_ this would happen! He curses himself — his weakness for his little beloved. Edd had whittled away his guard and played him like a fiddle — _again!_ He grabs his robe as he races to the door. The panic drives him, pumping adrenaline through his veins and willing his sleep-laden body to move as fast as fucking possible. He grabs the doorknob. How far had he gotten?! He swings open the door. How long until the police would be breaking down his door?! He runs out. How long —

He just barely manages to come to a stop to avoid barreling over the small figure in the hallway. The object of his rage — the current cause of his disheveled response — stands before him, his eyes wide and shoulders hunched from the surprise. Terry too, finds himself too stunned to think of anything to say or even to remember how angry he'd just been. After a moment, Edd's shoulders fall and he raises a bottle of water towards him. He doesn't say a damn thing and he doesn't look at Terry for long before his gaze drifts solemnly to the floor.

Terry finally regains his senses, suddenly recalling the entire reason he'd come racing out here. Gritting his teeth, he grabs Edd's arm and yanks him back into the bedroom. To his surprise, Edd doesn't struggle. Doesn't fight back or protest for even a second, and, as Terry slams the door shut, he trudges to the bed and sits down, cradling the bottle close.

"What the _fuck_ were you doing out there?!" Terry demands, whipping around to him, "I let you out for _one day_ and _this_ is how you repay me?! How fucking _dare_ you leave this room without my permission?!"

Edd glances up at him wearily, holding up the bottle again.

"I was thirsty…"

"I don't give a frog's fat ass!" Terry snaps back, stomping over to him, "You wake me up if you want some goddamn water!"

"I didn't…" Edd's voice wavers a little, "I-I didn't…want to wake you…over something as…a-as trivial…as that…"

"I don't _care_ how 'trivial' you think it is!" Terry towers over him, his vision tunneling, "You don't leave this room without my _fucking permission!_ Fuck, at this point, you ain't gonna leave this room fuckin' _ever!_ "

Edd sniffles a little; "I just wanted some water…"

Terry's fingers curl into shaking fists as the overwhelming urge to strike Edd for skirting the issue courses through his body like the water the kid had blatantly disobeyed him for. With a groan, he turns away and storms out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him. He can't hit him again. He can't bear it. Not after the beautiful evening they just shared. Not after seeing Edd's sweet little smile — a smile _he_ drew from him! He can't chase that away again by an unrestrained fist. Instead, he tries to calm himself down and think logically. Edd _had_ left the room, but he'd come _back_ too. He hadn't tried to run…

Or maybe he just couldn't find a way out?

Breathless, he stumbles out into the kitchen, his eyes darting around frantically in search of any sign that Edd had tried at all to slip away. The front door; still locked up tight. The windows; shut against the frigid night air. The phone…His heart stops. Did he…

He rushes towards the slumbering device, catching his toe on one of the kitchen chairs on the way. He curses against the pain, cradling his foot for a brief moment before continuing his hobble to the counter where the phone rests. The landline is hooked back in. He distinctly remembers leaving it disconnected when they retired to bed. That would mean…

His heartbeat goes from zero to one hundred as he picks up the receiver and as his thumb dials in star-six-six. Holding his breath, he brings the phone to his ear as it automatically dials the last call made.

Each ring makes his throat drier and his heart heavier. The possible answers that he might get run through his mind. Maybe he's being paranoid. Maybe it'll be Mike, picking up and sounding ready to strangle him for calling at three in the goddamn morning? But what if it isn't? What if it's some 9-1-1 operator? A cop? His shithead brother? The line clicks — the familiar sign of the recipient answering.

" _Hello,_ " a woman's voice greets, her tone slightly irritable, " _Vincent residence. This is Valerie speaking._ "

Terry's blood boils against the sound of _her_ voice and his fingers twitch and curl into shaking fists. He doesn't dare speak, of course. Only seethes in silent anger. _He_ hadn't placed a call to this bitch. He's _never_ called _this_ number. Why the fuck _would_ he have?

 _Goddammit!_

He can just barely hear her through his rage.

" _Hello? Hello?!_ " she gives a huff, " _Again? Please, whoever you are, cease calling this number unless you wish to_ _ **say some**_ _—_ "

He doesn't bother letting her finish as he slams the phone down, effectively hanging up on her. Probably not a great move, but he doesn't care right now as he returns to the bedroom, more manic than ever. Just because that bitch was the last person Edd had called, doesn't mean he hadn't tried anyone else!

When he enters the room again, Edd's staring down at the sheets, fidgeting with the bottle's lid. He glances up at Terry, but looks no more perturbed by his anger than he had been before. Then it's back to gazing down at the sheets.

"You called home," Terry begins, his voice shaking a bit as he locks the door behind him.

Edd's shoulders raise ever so slightly; "Yes." He furrows his brow and glances up at him again. "How did you know?"

Terry approaches him slowly, any thought of _not_ hitting him slowly drifting away as he clenches and unclenches his fists.

"Star-sixty-six, Princess," he retorts through his teeth, "Redials the number from the last call received."

Shutting his eyes with a grimace, Edd's body tenses a little. Terry tries to calm himself.

"So you admit it _,_ " he hisses, his fists shaking a little, "You called home."

"I didn't say anything…" Edd murmurs, his voice beginning to waver.

Terry brings his fist down on the bedside table, making the boy jump with the sudden _slam!_

"What the _fuck_ were you thinking?!" Terry roars, "Who else did you _fucking_ _call?!_ "

Edd shakes his head; "No one."

With a bit of a growl, Terry grabs the side of Edd's head, digging his fingers into the soft, dark hair and pricking the boy's scalp with his nails; drawing a pained cry from the quivering child.

" _Who?!_ " he demands, squeezing a little tighter.

"N-No one!" Edd sobs back, "I swear!"

Terry considers holding him down and hitting him for lying, but he can see that hurting him isn't changing his story. He eases his grip just a bit, leaning into Edd's face.

"You didn't call the police?" he hisses.

Edd shakes his head very slightly; "No."

"You didn't call that little dipshit you used to hang around?" Terry continues, his voice dripping with warning, "Or that fucking Pipsqueak?"

"No," Edd whimpers, "No one else — I swear!"

"Why?" Terry growls.

Finally, Edd looks up at him again, his eyes shining with tears and his gaze pitiful.

"Please…" he weeps, "Y-You're hurting me!"

The desperate tone in his voice sends a pang of regret through Terry. It's not like before, when he'd punished him so harshly and without remorse. Yes, Edd had cried. He'd begged Terry stop. He even vaguely recalls hearing those very words before. But now, it's…different. There's a hint of betrayal in Edd's voice as he cries. As he looks up at him so weakly.

Terry releases him, his own breathing shallow as he backs away just a bit. Raising his hand to the side of his head, Edd cradles the stinging flesh of his scalp and curls further in on himself.

"Why?" Terry repeats, "Why did you call home?"

For a while, Edd says nothing, just sniffles and holds the side of his head. It becomes obvious that it's less about easing any actual pain and more about a different kind of comfort.

"I just…wanted to hear her voice…" he murmurs moments later, shivering horribly.

He wraps the bottle up in his arms, hugging it like a stuffed animal as he peeks up at Terry through his tears.

"I-I saw the phone…" he whimpers, "A-And…" He bows his head shyly. "I thought about her." He shrinks in on himself more. "A-And I…I thought…I wanted to…know…"

"Know _what?_ " Terry hisses, utterly lost to where Edd might possibly be going with this.

But that question seems to be lost on Edd as well as he starts mumbling to himself.

"…didn't even…" he mumbles, "she wasn't…"

Sniffling, he drags his hand over his cheeks, trying to wipe away his tears.

"I-I didn't know what to say…" he cries softly, "When she answered the phone…it was like…nothing was wrong. Like she wasn't expecting a call or…or hopeful that…" He glances up at Terry. "Sh-She got angry and…a-and hung up b-before I could sp…" He tries to calm his breathing. "Before I could speak…"

Well…Terry's not sure how to take any of _that_. Edd's rambling does indeed imply that he hadn't actually reached out to her. From what he can gather, he just…called? Nothing else. But it seems too good to be true. He can't tell what to believe.

Edd continues.

"I-I really… _was_ just getting water," he insists softly, "I'm sorry for leaving the room. Really, I just…I-I didn't want to wake you. Y-You've been so angry with me…I thought…I-I'd just get a drink…and come back…so I wouldn't have to wake you up and…a-and make you even more upset with me."

Terry grimaces a little, watching Edd devolve further into tears.

"I-It's late…right?" Edd hiccups, raising his head, but unable to look at Terry again, "M-Maybe she just…wasn't thinking straight…?" He peeks at Terry shyly. "R-Right?"

Terry rolls his eyes; "She sounded pretty 'awake' to me…"

The bottle _crinkles_ and _cracks_ as Edd squeezes it in his quivering hands.

"M-Maybe she just…" he stutters, "had too much on her mind? O-Or maybe it's just been too long? A-And it didn't occur to her that…that it could be…" His voice fades a little. "…me…?"

It clicks a bit easier as Edd goes on mumbling. Come to think of it, that bitch hadn't sounded even the slightest bit concerned about a strange call coming through in the middle of the night. No worry in her voice about who might be on the other end of the line. Is that how she'd answered Edd too? Like it was a typical phone call? Did she not find it suspicious at all that this three a.m. caller would remain silent? Would that not have made her curious or even the least bit suspicious?

Clearly, _Edd_ was expecting something like that: a frightened mother, delicately asking who this mystery caller could be. A distressed mother, who was perhaps holding on to a tentative hope that it might happen to be her darling child so desperately reaching out to her after so long away from her loving embrace, but unable to voice his cry for help? But instead, he had those expectations cruelly dashed by the nonchalant tone of a routine answering of the phone laced with an irritability that came with the late hour.

His attention is drawn back to Edd as the little fingers graze his wrist. He's let the bottle slip from his grip to rest in his lap.

"Or…Th-They don't…" he weeps, "…m-miss me…Do they?"

The opportunity is almost too much. Terry tries and fails to restrain the self-satisfied scoff that escapes him.

"Sorry, sweetheart," he retorts, "I tried to tell ya…"

Edd sobs deeply, feebly rubbing his eyes with one hand. With the other, he weakly grasps at Terry's wrist.

"P-Please…" he whimpers, "I-I…"

He can't seem to bring himself to finish his plea, but he doesn't need to. Eyes wide, Terry sits beside him on the bed before wrapping his arms around the small, shaking body, all anger forgotten. And really, how can he be angry as Edd climbs into his lap, burying his face in his shoulder and digging his fingers into the fabric of his robe? As his darling Princess voluntarily seeks comfort in him and weeps more openly; sharing his sorrow? The longer he clings to Terry, the more his weeping turns to wailing, full of anguish and dripping with his hurt.

It's almost unsettling. Though it's similar to when he came to his recent conclusion about Eddy, it still feels different than the other times Edd's cried. Any other time, he wouldn't seek Terry out for comfort — whether out of stubbornness or because it had been Terry himself who'd made him cry. Now, he's not only allowing himself to be comforted by Terry, but he's specifically turning to him for it. So, of course, Terry gently rubs Edd's back, cradling him delicately as he quakes with his sobs. Covering the hand clutching his robe, he gives it a firm squeeze; a gentle reminder of his presence.

He's not sure how long Edd cries like this. He doesn't try to talk to him through it. Just grabs the nearly empty roll of toilet paper from the bedside table and lets Edd wipe his face and blow his nose when he can. Eventually, Edd goes from holding onto Terry's robe, to gingerly turning his hand and pressing his palm to Terry's own, giving little squeezes back.

Only when Edd is reduced to timid hiccuping does Terry speak again, keeping his voice low and steady in an effort to avoid upsetting him again.

"What did you want to know?" he asks, resting his cheek against Edd's temple, "When you called… _her_ …what was so important for you to know?"

He feels Edd's shoulders hunch up and the lithe fingers squeeze his hand again. He doesn't answer right away. Whether or not he even knows the answer himself is unclear. As Edd's grip slackens and his breathing slows, Terry wonders briefly if he fell asleep.

That is, until he speaks softly, his tone revealing his weakening connection to the waking world.

"To know if…you were right…" he murmurs, "If they missed me or…not…"

Sniffling a bit, Edd nuzzles his shoulder, his breath still a bit shaky. With a soft sigh, he leans more heavily against Terry's chest.

"I'm sorry I left the room…" he breathes, his voice all but gone, "M'sorry…"

He goes on mumbling 'I'm sorry' over and over, his words slurring and his voice drifting further and further away until he finally seems to pass out. Terry doesn't bother saying anything more during Edd's rambling. He doubts it'd get through right now anyway. However, he also doesn't let himself relax.

Edd was _adamant_ that he hadn't called anyone but his mother, but Terry still finds himself skeptical. And really, why shouldn't he? Because he didn't let Mike see him? Maybe he just didn't believe that fucker would help him? Or maybe he expected Terry to do something drastic if he had? But to call for help in the dead of night? While Terry was sleeping and unable to prepare or make a getaway? It'd make too much sense. Although…Edd doesn't know the _name_ of the park, let alone an address to go by. Even if he _had_ called the police, would they be able to find the trailer?

But what if Edd decided to ring the Sampson residence back in Peach Creek? He said he didn't call _Eddy_ , but Terry's sure his old man would be more than happy to see him behind bars. And after what he's told Edd about his home life, he has a feeling Edd knows that too. And his parents _do_ know his address and could get the cops on his tail within the hour.

Panic bubbles up in him again, making his mind go a mile a minute as he ponders the likelihood of that happening. Holding his breath, he carefully untangles Edd from him and lays him down on the bed. Tucking him in, he slips away and out of the room again to process what the hell he's going to do.

Pacing in his kitchen, he goes through about a dozen steps to escape. There's enough time to grab his van and slip away with Edd. He'd have to handcuff and gag him again, but he supposes that he needs to be punished anyway, so fuck it. But then there's the packing. They don't need _that_ much, but he's not sure he could pack even the essentials in the time it'd take those pigs to arrive. He spots the phone again, his brow furrowed.

No…No, Edd had _sworn_ to him he hadn't called anyone else…He hadn't changed his story in the slightest. He hadn't even denied it when Terry accused him of calling home. And, frankly, he's jumping to conclusions assuming that Edd would call _those two_ as well. Worrying his lip between his teeth, he decides there's really only one way to find out. He approaches the counter, being mindful of the chairs this time, and picks up the phone. Dialing the familiar number, he brings the phone to his ear. The anticipation rises again as he waits for someone to pick up.

One ring.

Two.

Three. He half expects the machine to pick up before—

" _Fuckin' callin' in the middle of the goddamn night…_ " the muffled voice of his grumpy-as-fuck father slurs through a yawn on the other end of the line, " _What?_ "

Terry grits his teeth, realizing he never actually had anything in mind to _say_. What kind've excuse could he throw out?! Swallowing thickly, he opens his mouth.

"Oh…iz _you_ …" he grumbles, forcing a slur of his own that he prays his old man will believe reflects one too many beers, "Put the lil Pissqueak on willya?"

Sure, it's weird to call the little pissant at this hour, but maybe his dad won't consider that?

Tony snorts his groan; " _Fuckin'_ _ **drunk.**_ " Nailed it! " _The fuck are you doin' callin' so goddamn late? Your brother's in_ _ **bed**_ _. You wanna talk to 'im, you call when the goddamn_ _ **sun is up.**_ "

Without giving Terry time for a response, the line goes dead. Terry sighs in relief, placing the phone back in its cradle. It would seem that Edd was telling the truth. His dad can't act to save his goddamn life and it sure as shit sounded like he just woke up. If Edd had called _them,_ he knows his old man would be wide awake and rallying the troops to come after him.

So…he's safe?

For now, at least, that seems to be the case. Nobody else back home knows where he is and Edd hardly has any idea about that either. Still, he returns to the bedroom with a sense of unease, like he's still missing something. When he walks into the room, Edd's sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"Where were you…?" he asks, his voice hoarse and almost pained.

Grimacing, Terry closes the door and locks it; "Had to make a call."

"A call…?" Edd echoes, peering up at him with a furrowed brow. It seems to dawn on him what Terry meant by that a moment later, drawing him to sigh, "You still think I called someone aside from mother…?"

"Why the hell _wouldn't_ I?" Terry retorts with a glare, "After _everything_ you did to try to leave me, why would I believe you wouldn't pull a stunt like that?"

Edd shrugs, hugging his arms; "I told you; I'm not going anywhere…"

"Yeah, and I don't _get that_ ," Terry insists, approaching him, "Given your track record, it's a little hard to believe."

Pulling his legs to his chest, Edd looks away, raising his hand to toy with his hair near his temple.

"Where would I go?" he asks softly.

Terry scoffs; "The fuck do you mean by _that?_ "

"I _mean,_ " Edd sighs, turning his head to look at him again, "I don't…know where I could go. I have no friends or close family outside of the cul-de-sac, it's likely below freezing outside — so even if I were to manage to get out, I've nowhere to run _to_ —" His speech gets a bit more erratic. "And even if I tried to seek asylum with one of your coworkers, they'd probably just call the police and the police would take me home and I…"

He pauses, breathless, and curls in on himself further, his face turning pink. Terry grimaces.

"So, you'd get to go home," he grumbles, "Isn't that what you _want?_ What you've been bitching at me for all this time? You ain't exactly makin' a good case for yourself here."

Edd shakes his head, his brow furrowed.

"What?" Terry scoffs, "All of a sudden, you don't _wanna_ go home?"

There's a pause, before Edd answers softly; "I…I don't…know…"

"The fuck do you _mean_ 'you don't know'?" Terry groans, "How many times are you gonna give me _that_ fuckin' excuse?"

"I _mean_ I…" Edd stutters to silence, starting to quiver, "I don't…know…if I want to go home…"

Terry's not sure how to respond to that, but excitement begins to rear its head. Though it still doesn't really answer his question, it almost sounds like victory is within reach. But…why? He imagines the confusion is written on his face, because Edd continues.

"As horribly as you treat me…" he begins weakly, averting his gaze, "I…If mother and father don't…miss me, and…my friends don't miss me either…" He gulps a bit. "I don't…I-I'm not…"

He blinks away a few fresh tears, looking unable to muster the strength to finish as he shakes his head. Giving Terry a weary pout, he shrugs a bit.

"I don't know if," he mumbles softly, "I can handle that. I'm not sure I _can_ go home…"

And there it is. As Edd bows his head again in sorrowful resignation, Terry drinks in the victory brought about by this final concession that made all the stress and paranoia worthwhile. It sounds to him like Edd now believes that this is all he has. That going home is no longer an option. _It's about goddamn time._ For a moment, he's not sure how he should respond. He wants to praise Edd for coming to such a conclusion — to further reinforce that view — but then again, he's still wary of rewarding his behavior after Edd disobeyed him. The conflict is goddamn frustrating!

Luckily, Edd doesn't let the silence simmer much longer.

"I know you're mad at me…" he begins, hugging his middle, "But I…I need…"

The urge to swoop in and collect Edd up in his arms again is almost too great, but Terry holds back as best he can. Edd's so close to just _saying it._ To saying three words he's longed to hear. He has to be strong. He can't give in until those words pass Edd's lips. _That's_ the behavior he has to goddamn reinforce.

Edd's shoulders fall; "I need…you."

As though a switch were flipped on, Terry is at his side, pulling Edd up into a comforting embrace. He knows it doesn't mean what he _wants_ it to mean, but it's enough. With little whimpers and whines, Edd leans into the gentle nuzzling and kisses that are so generously applied to his temple and cheeks.

Terry takes it no further than that as they settle back beneath the covers to sleep. Edd's hurting enough as it is and he can't bear to upset him again through a night of passion. Instead, he cradles Edd's fragile body against his own, muttering sweet words and promises into his ear. How much he loves him. How perfect and precious Edd is to him. How he'll always be with him. How he'll always love and cherish him the way he should be. And, most importantly…

How he'll never let those neglectful pieces of shit hurt him _ever again._

It seems to be enough to soothe Edd's sadness and, in no time at all, he's back to sleep, his lithe arms wrapped tightly around Terry's chest. Carding his fingers through Edd's soft hair, Terry too drifts to sleep with him in pure satisfaction.


	39. Ch 38 - A Ministering Angel Bro Shall Be

Waking up beside Edd feels so much better than it used to. Granted it looks as though Edd had tossed and turned a bit after their rough night and had ended up turned away from him, but even that doesn't bother Terry as he sits upright to observe him. All that matters is that he still wakes up beside the slumbering child, who is deeply lost in his dreams, which have clearly calmed again. He hadn't tried to run off and that's all he cares about.

Leaving Edd to sleep on, Terry slips out of bed with a cup of coffee in mind. He stops by the bathroom to take a leak, but otherwise, doesn't impede his trip to the kitchen. Avoiding eye contact with the phone, he sets up the coffee pot. Mike said he was giving everyone the day off, so he doesn't expect any calls there. Edd's 'mother' was likely too busy not giving two shits about her missing chid to care about investigating a couple of late night interruptions, and he doubts his old man will remember to tell Eddy that he'd called. Hell, that fucker already didn't want Eddy talking to him; why would he tell the little runt that he'd supposedly drunk-dialed home last night? For that matter, he and that bitch may just pretend it didn't happen — much like the way Terry's parents treated the rest of his existence. Either way, it's fine with him. Maybe he'll get a day of peace for once? Right now, he needs to direct his attention towards the little problem snuggled sweetly amidst his sheets.

As the coffee percolates, he wonders how to proceed with the day. It's just after noon, so they've got all day to spend together, but he still finds himself at a bit of an impasse. It's New Year's Eve. He'd promised Edd they would watch the ball drop tonight and damn if he doesn't want to keep that promise. It would make Edd happy, after all, and that might include a little affection in response from his little darling in the form of tender kisses and reciprocated embraces. However…Edd had knowingly disobeyed him last night. That requires punishment. But then again, Edd had _also_ been remorseful. He hadn't disobeyed him out of spite or anger, but instead with a bit of kindness in mind — a desire to let Terry sleep rather than wake him as he quenched his thirst. He'd had Terry's needs in mind on top of his own.

Ah, but he also _also_ called home. _That's_ where this gets really tricky. Edd had called that bitch in a fit of homesickness — which could've put Terry in serious jeopardy. But, then again, he'd also remained silent during this call. He hadn't _said_ anything to her that would've resulted in sending the cops to his door and Edd had instead experienced only intense heartbreak for his efforts. Not to mention, he'd returned to Terry's arms, seeking affection and comfort in the man he'd once utterly deplored in a desperate attempt to heal his devastated little heart. That at least deserves a little compassion, right? A little tenderness to make up for the cruelty he'd perceived to have gotten from that woman he's been holding out so much hope to see again.

How despicable she is.

Terry feels sick as he reflects on that phone call. Not because he has any inkling that she'd somehow trace the call or investigate the strangeness from last night, of course. The way she answered the phone had him thoroughly convinced that she had perceived the calls to be a telemarketer or an annoying misdial.

No, it's her calm tone that has him so full of disgust he could vomit. Well, perhaps 'calm' isn't the right word, but she hadn't sounded _worried_ , either, which would've made more sense. It reminds him of that shitshow at Christmas dinner. How she and that douchebag had been so collected and nonchalant, if not a little irritated that they were being 'inconvenienced' by his mother's hospitality. How they'd talked about their missing child more like a lost wallet — something that wasn't their top priority to find, but would be great if they did. How they couldn't be bothered to even utter their son's _name_ or pray for his safe return without being prompted to by the little Pipsqueak. As though he could just be replaced should that possibility be completely lost to them.

It made Terry anticipate something like last night's incident happening. Perhaps not that Edd would actually try calling home, but at least the reaction he had. How coming into contact with either of those two hateful fucks again would inevitably lead to Edd coming face-to-face with their neglect. That he would finally realize how little he meant to them and how ultimately heartbroken it would leave him. It's a result that's fortuitous for Terry, of course. He can't deny that this incident can only help his case by reinforcing the things he's trying to convince Edd about. But he must also admit that it doesn't feel nearly as satisfying as he hoped. Somehow, he finds that it ended up hurting more than anything to see how deeply it wounded the fragile, child.

So, should he not show him some tenderness in return and comfort him through his sorrow rather than punish him even more than he already has been?

The coffee maker alerts him to the prepared brew, drawing his attention away from his little debate so that he can pour himself a cup. He decides as he sprinkles in just a pinch of sugar, that he should probably do a little of both options; punishment for leaving the room and calling home, and reward for coming back and seeking affection in him. The best way to do that would probably be to keep Edd in the room for most of the day, but let him out as midnight draws near to welcome the new year together.

Yeah…That should work…

Back to the bedroom, he finds Edd still sleeping, which is a nice change of pace. Returning to his place on the bed, he sets his cup on the table to cool a bit more before turning his attention to Edd. It never ceases to amaze him how pretty he looks like this. He's turned back onto his side so that he's facing Terry again and he's curled up a bit to be more comfortable. His face reflects pure relaxation; from his resting brow, to his lightly shut eyes; from his tousled hair, to his ever-so-slightly parted lips. His agony from the night before has been long forgotten in his slumber, the only remnant being the salty residue on his cheeks, leaving him to content dreaming.

Terry grits his teeth a little. The urge to touch him — to caress his cheek and enjoy the softness of his skin as he wipes away the leftover tears — is absolute torture. The calm within the room has him on edge. It's the perfect opportunity to touch him without Edd jerking away. However, if he gives in to such a desire, he'll risk waking his Sleeping Beauty and ruin the perfection that lies before him. But he looks so soft. So vulnerable. Beckoning Terry to make blessed contact.

And really, how can hope to resist such temptation?

Holding his breath, Terry moves as slow as a snail, hovering his hand over Edd's cheek. Slower still, he delicately caresses the soft flesh. To his delight, he's rewarded for his tenderness and warmth by the prettiest smile that creeps across Edd's parted lips and as he subtly nuzzles the pillow. Fuck, if there's one positive to come from this bullshit celibacy that he agreed to, it's that he can get this close and get a reaction like _this._ All too pleased, Terry begins gently stroking Edd's cheek with his thumb, hoping to coax more of that sweet little smile out.

But, alas, it would seem that he's pressed his luck too far. Edd slowly blinks his eyes open with a little groan. _Dammit._ Terry's hand is brushed away as Edd reaches up to rub the sleep out of his eyes. With a sigh, Terry sits back, turning away a bit to grab his coffee. It's not cooled much, but fuck it. It's not like Edd will let Terry touch him again right away. Or, at least, he imagines that to be the case. As he takes a scalding sip — hissing a curse against the burning of his tongue — Edd sits up beside him, though he hunches over immediately, still rubbing his tired eyes.

"I smell coffee…" he moans softly, glancing at Terry blearily, "What time is it?"

"Little after noon," Terry replies, inspecting the steaming beverage.

"Oh my…" Edd breathes, "Is it that late already?"

Terry shrugs; "Who cares? It's not like we got ourselves a full schedule."

There's a bit of a pause as Edd studies him for a moment before bowing his head.

"No, I suppose we don't…"

Rolling his eyes, Terry sets his coffee aside again — _too damn hot to drink anyway._ He notices Edd staring dejectedly at the sheets, drawing him to sigh softly.

"Seems like you slept well enough, at least."

"Hm?" Edd looks up at him, drawn from his momentary daze, "Oh…y-yes." He starts brushing his fingers through his hair. "I-I slept…fine…Thank you."

Cocking his brow, Terry considers pointing out Edd's behavior — to ask if he's still upset about what happened last night — before Edd turns to him fully.

"May I please take a shower?" he asks, his voice picking up, "It occurs to me that I didn't have the opportunity to bathe yesterday. Or, at least, it didn't cross my mind at the time."

Terry hums thoughtfully; "Now that you mention it, I could use a shower myself…"

Edd pales at that; "M-May I…go first?"

"Why?" Terry scoffs, "It'll save time if we share the bath."

It would seem that Edd doesn't have a good response to that, but he makes a feeble effort.

"Please…" he whimpers, "I-I'd prefer to bathe alone…"

"I'm not gonna _do anything_ to you," Terry insists with a grimace, "I just don't see the point in takin' turns. Besides," his grimace morphs into a grin, "I figured you'd want me around after last night. Wouldn't you?"

That makes Edd tense considerably before his pleading look becomes a bit more desperate.

"I'd…greatly prefer to bathe alone."

Terry glares at him, caught at another crossroads. He has a feeling he knows what this is really about, but should he really give him privacy just for _that?_ Should he leave him time to think and perhaps come to the conclusions that Terry desires? Or should he stick to his guns and assert his dominance again to be sure? Is the latter even worth the effort anymore?

Heaving an exasperated sigh, Terry rises from the bed.

"Fine," he grumbles, "Let's go."

He notices Edd's look of disappointment, realizing that his tone is definitely not what the kid was hoping for, but he can't exactly pretend he's happy about this. Seems like no matter what he does, Edd will either be mopey or defiant or both — he can't fucking win.

As he approaches the door, pocketing his keys into his robe, Edd joins him at his side, looking up at him uneasily. Terry doesn't bother reaching for his hand this time as he leaves the room, leading the way. Edd timidly follows, saying nothing. Only when they reach the bathroom and Terry holds the door open for him does Edd finally speak again.

"P-Please don't be mad at me…" he mutters, fidgeting uncomfortably as he stands in the door frame at the man's side.

Terry regards him with an arched brow, drawing Edd to shrink in on himself a little more.

"I…I just…" he mumbles, "need to be alone for a bit…Su-Surely you can…understand that after…a-after…"

Rolling his eyes, Terry nods towards the tub.

"Just get in the bath already," he retorts, rubbing his forehead, "The longer you stand here muttering, the longer you make _me_ wait to get a goddamn shower in."

Shoulders drooped, Edd reluctantly steps further into the bathroom, after which Terry steps out and shuts the door behind him, locking it with the padlock. Edd wants to be alone? Fine.

With a grumble, he returns to the bedroom to grab his coffee to drink while he waits. As he leans against the wall beside the bathroom door, listening to the pipes creak and groan as the water begins to run rampant through them, he finds that he regrets making the drink. Frankly, if it weren't for the fact that he wants to keep his wits about him today, he might not have bothered.

Excuses, excuses.

Of course he wanted the coffee. He knows the only _real_ reason he's irritable is because of Edd. Or rather, because of Edd's behavior. He'd been so damn clingy last night. So unwilling — maybe even afraid — to be alone. Now all of a sudden, he _needs_ to be? _Now_ he's got to think things through? Maybe he's being petty, but so what? Edd had been so affectionate and cuddly last night! No shit this sudden turn around is gonna get under his damn skin. No shit he's gonna be tired of being forced back into his caretake role instead of that of a comforting lover.

With a sigh, he leans his head back against the wall, trying to calm his breathing. Why is he so upset about this, really? After all, he's got all damn day — all his _life_ , even — to spend with Edd and get close to him again. To pry him out of his little shell and get to a place where they're both happy. Just gotta relax. Take it slow. Not to mention, he has to remind himself that Edd got dealt a helluva blow last night. A confirmation (of sorts) about how little his parents care about him — how little they actually _love_ him — and how alone he really is without Terry. How he has nothing left to go home to. How he's _afraid to go home._

He sighs again.

Yeah, okay, so maybe Edd's behavior makes sense after all. He takes a tentative sip from his coffee, soothed by the bitter taste and the cooling temperature. It's still pretty hot, but no longer scalding as it had been. Or maybe he'd just burned away the nerves in his mouth? Eh, whichever; he can drink it.

Back to playing the waiting game, he tries to plan out what to do after he's gotten his shower. Edd will probably want some lunch. Easy enough, though making Edd stay in the bedroom again while he makes their food might be a little more unpleasant. What about after that? Well, Edd seemed to like reading with him. Maybe they could polish off that book to kill some time? At least until dinner. After that, maybe he'll let Edd out again. He hates to admit it, but there's really not much else they _can_ do right now. Though, that could just be because all he's got on his mind is how to comfort Edd and coerce him closer to his side.

Should probably start by _not_ making him feel worse… _Right._

When the pipes go silent again, he stands up straighter and removes the lock on the door. Edd'll be ready to walk out soon and it might earn him some points if he's not aware that the padlock was in place. Edd's emergence isn't immediate, as it takes several minutes before the doorknob begins to jiggle and turn. He can almost feel the steam slip from the crevice as the door creeps open and Edd peeks out at him. He's dressed again, and is holding a towel against his head, halting in his efforts to dry his hair more. His pretty face is a bit pink and don't think for even a second that Terry doesn't notice that his eyes are glossy and slightly red. _He was crying._ Terry's eyes fall briefly upon the collar around his neck. The leather is still damp as well and it occurs to him suddenly how uncomfortable it must be for him to wear that in the shower.

Pushing himself up and off the wall, he extends his hand towards the trembling child. Eyes wide, Edd drops the towel before grabbing that hand without hesitation and drawing himself close to Terry's side. He doesn't struggle as he's returned to the bedroom, or as Terry escorts him to the bed. He does, however, refuse to let go of his hand as Terry leaves his coffee on the bedside table and tries to leave.

"Are…A-Are you still mad at me?" he asks softly, squeezing Terry's hand a bit.

Brow cocked, Terry studies him carefully, unsure of where this is coming from or where it could possibly be going. Edd bows his head shyly.

"Please, I…" he whimpers, leaning forward and resting his temple against Terry's arm, "I didn't mean anything by it…I just…needed to be alone for a bit. I-It wasn't…you." He squeezes Terry's hand again. "Don't be mad at me anymore."

 _The fuck…?_ Did he doze off while waiting for his shower?Is this another sexy dream and Edd's about to strip down and beg him for sex?

Well, no. _Dammit._

As he waits for that to happen, Edd only clings to him, his shoulders hunched and his head bowed to hide his face. Moreover, he knows this _can't_ be a dream. He can distinctly feel Edd's warm hands around his own, his cheek and damp hair against his skin, and the hot tears that slip free from his tightly shut eyes. Had his dismissive tone affected him _that_ much? Why? He's reacted similarly whenever Edd would shut down his efforts to be intimate with him. So why was this time different?

Taking a breath, he carefully pries his hand away from Edd's grip and cups his cheek, urging the boy to look at him again. He can't bring himself to address this now. He still wants his shower, after all, but perhaps he can quell his worries at least a little?

"Put that outta your mind, Princess," he breathes, kissing Edd's forehead, "I'll be right back. You just lay down and rest."

Hiccuping a little, Edd nods, his breathing a little shaky. Leaving Edd on the bed, Terry turns to the door, but stops before he walks out. He has an idea that might make Edd feel a little better.

"Oh yeah…" he mumbles, "You probably wanna change out of those clothes, don'tcha?" He opens the drawer to retrieve the new pack of underwear. "You been wearing that same…'outfit' for a couple days, I think…"

Without waiting for a response, Terry retrieves a clean t-shirt and an older pair of lounge pants. Yeah, this oughta help. Edd preferred to be clean and a change of clothes might really help with that. Turning back to Edd, he returns to the bed and hands him the clothes.

"Here ya go, sweetheart," he coos, kissing Edd's cheek, "You just get nice n' comfy while you wait for me to come back."

Edd gives him a shy nod; "Thank you…"

Pleased, Terry stands straight and grabs a pair of underwear for himself before retreating from the room and locking the bedroom door behind him as he goes (just in case).

He has a feeling he breaks some kinda record as he speeds through his shower. Washing only where is absolutely necessary. Edd wants him — no, _needs_ him to come back as soon as _fucking_ possible and he's gotta take advantage of that! And the best way to make sure Edd wants to get nice and close is to come back fresh and clean. Hmm, he should probably shave too after he's brushed his teeth…

Shutting off the water, he wraps a towel around his waist and steps out of the tub to grab his toothbrush. He's brief with that as well, finishing with a quick rinse from the mouthwash. Where he slows down, however, is in shaving. It's mostly just a trim here and there, but he doesn't want to return to Edd with a bunch of bleeding cuts.

He nearly runs back to the bedroom, stumbling into the clean pair of boxers and throwing his robe back on. Upon reaching the door, he stops to collect himself. Probably shouldn't look _too_ eager. That notion is abolished of course, as he opens the door, unable to restrain the excited grin.

As he walks into the room, however, he finds Edd beneath the covers, curled up on his side and staring wearily at the nothingness before him. He doesn't even glance up when Terry closes the door. Or when he crosses the room to the bed. Or even when he pulls the covers away. To that, at least, he does curl in on himself further, shivering a bit against the sudden rush of cold. He's changed into the new clothes — because of _course_ he would have — which look even bigger on him than the ones before. Humming softly, Terry sits beside him on the bed, leaning over him.

"What's the matter?" he asks softly, picking up Edd's limp little hand and bringing it to his lips, "What's put such a sad look on such a pretty face?"

Finally, Edd looks at him, his brow furrowed. He doesn't move, necessarily. Just glances up at him out of the corner of his eye.

"You never answered my question…" his voice sounds so far away, "Are you still mad at me?"

 _Again with that?_ Didn't he say to stop thinking about it? Was that not enough? Eyeing Edd carefully, Terry brushes the soft, slightly damp locks away from his pretty face with his free hand, tucking them neatly behind his ear. He starts stroking the back of Edd's hand with his thumb, hoping to add further comfort.

"What makes you think I'm so mad?"

Edd's shoulders hunch and the rest of his body tenses.

"You seemed so upset with me," he whimpers, "A-About the shower…"

"Is that all?" Terry scoffs, "Forget about—"

"And last night…"

Ah. That's a little harder for him to forget. After all, it's affecting how he's going to spend his time with Edd today. He sighs, gently petting the side of Edd's head.

"I'm not mad, sweetheart" he coos, "Just disappointed that you'd disobey me like that. I told you not to leave the room without me."

Hmm, is disappointment better or worse? Edd pushes himself to sit up, stiffly moving his legs under him. He gazes up at Terry with a furrowed brow.

"I know…" Good so far. "I'm sorry…I-I won't do it again. I swear."

Terry studies him for a moment, taking his hands off of him. It's good to hear, but maybe too good to be true. He doesn't _want_ to make Edd feel any worse, but at the same time, he _has_ to be sure that he's telling the truth.

"Is that right?" he asks, his tone reflecting his suspicions, "I'd love to believe that, Princess, but how can you _really_ expect me to? I gave you a fuckin' inch n' you took a goddamn mile. Why should I believe that you won't disobey me like that again?"

Bowing his head, Edd hugs his middle. He doesn't answer right away, giving Terry a certain sense of unease. _Is he trying to come up with an excuse? More lies to trick me? Why the fuck won't he say something?!_

He winces a little, finally speaking.

"Because I…" he pauses, breathless, "I won't. I…I'm so…tired."

"Tired?" Terry scoffs again, "You think just cuz you're 'tired', I believe you'd—"

"Of feeling like…this," Edd interjects, glancing his way for a brief moment.

Terry observes him silently, unsure how to answer that. How the fuck does one respond to that kind of statement, anyway? What does that even mean? Edd's eyes are glossing over a little more, and he can't seem to maintain eye contact in general as his cheeks turn a bit red.

"I'm…tired of feeling this…melancholy," he explains, pausing again and scooting a little closer to Terry. "Y-You keep saying you're all I have…yet you seem to put so much effort into making me feel worse than I already do." His fingers curl into little fists around the hem of his borrowed shirt. "But even so, I…I don't want to feel this…bad anymore. I don't…"

He stops again, wringing the fabric between his fingers and likely stretching it out even more. But it's the look on his face that has Terry's attention. He realizes, as Edd fidgets and whines softly under his breath, that he looks _ashamed_. Of what he did? Of what he's thinking? …Of what he's _saying?_ It's hard to tell. Edd timidly reaches for Terry's hand, but stops, his entire body quivering.

"Y-You said…" he mumbles, his eyes darting back and forth, from Terry's face, to his own hand, to the sheets, to the walls, "you wanted to make me feel _better_ …That…you wanted to make me feel luh…" He swallows thickly, his breathing shaky. "I-I want to stop feeling like this…" He finally returns his gaze to Terry's face, sniffling. "I p- _promise_ I won't leave the room like that again…I…" He winces. "I'll do what you say. So…P-Please. Don't be mad at me anymore."

The pure joy that overcomes Terry as those words grace his ears puts the smirk back on his face, urging him to take Edd's hand into his own and give it a light squeeze. He chases away the heavenly thoughts of what he expects to come from this — specifically all of the sexual fantasies and just what he might be able to get Edd to do in response to that promise that rear their sultry heads — and focuses instead on replying to his little darling's words.

"Good," he breathes, bringing Edd's hand up to nuzzle it against his cheek, "Then I'm not mad at you. And as long as you do what I say, I won't have any reason to _be_ mad at you, now will I?"

Edd shakes his head, his tired, weepy eyes locked on him. Pleased, Terry places another kiss to the back of his hand in reward.

"That's right," he breathes, releasing his hold on Edd altogether to instead spread his arms just enough for the boy to slip through to embrace him, "Now, come here."

With a sigh that deflates Edd's hunched shoulders, the child practically falls against him, his little arms unable to wrap completely around Terry's broad chest and instead wrapping around just enough to clutch at the back of his robe as he presses his cheek against the man. _Fuck yes!_ The sensation of Edd's little body molding against his own, clinging to him as he shakes with his whimpering sobs, is fucking perfect, making him sigh in content. He brings his own hands down to rest along Edd's back and the crown of his head, petting and stroking wherever he sees fit.

It almost doesn't feel real: that he's finally achieved what he's spent so long working for. He wants to remain suspicious — he's thought this before, after all — but this time? It feels…different. He wants to _believe_ that it's different. He allows his body to relax further, enveloping Edd deeper into his embrace as he mutters sweet nothings into his ear. Eventually reclining and pulling Edd against himself to allow them both to be more comfortable. He should probably be getting up to make them lunch, but fuck it.

Food can wait.


	40. Ch 39 - Open Edd Wounds

They spend the rest of the afternoon reading. After lunch, they jump back into the book, picking up as though they'd never put it down. But this time, Edd's not nearly as shy about how Terry chooses to orchestrate their bodies. His legs willingly draped over Terry's lap as he leans heavily against the broad chest and shoulder. He doesn't even protest against Terry's fingers stroking and strumming the skin of his knees and thighs. And, of course, Terry loses himself to the sound of Edd's voice, barely listening to the narrative itself. His mind wanders as he listens to the dulcet tone and its rise and fall. Fuck, he could fall asleep like this. When their reading comes to a close a few hours later, Edd enthusiastically returns to sharing the detailed commentary in his notes, pointing out certain quotes and their significance to the overall argument he intended to write. It all sounds like Greek to the man, but it makes his Princess so happy, so he could give a fuck.

Dinnertime quickly draws near, and Terry decides it's about time to bring Edd back out of the bedroom to help him cook. They settle on spaghetti, which Edd eagerly offers to prepare a homemade sauce for — provided they have the proper ingredients. With a shrug, Terry allows him to raid his fridge and cabinets for spices and veggies, though he knows he won't find much. Despite this, he's still more than ready to improvise. Using the store-bought sauce as a base, he begins adding a variety of spices he comes across in the cabinets — oregano, parsley, basil, etcetera. Terry wonders where he even _got_ some of this stuff, but decides it must've been his mother's doing somehow. Maybe she snuck some in when she came to visit a couple years ago? Oh well. Wherever they came from, he's glad they're there. Especially when it results in his pretty little housewife bustling about to make a better meal for him. Not to mention how goddamn adorable he is while he does it. Carefully measuring each spice to the very grain and delicately adding it to the brew. After a quick taste test, he decides that his decision to let Edd out _and_ to let him adjust the sauce is acceptable.

When dinner is ready, he even has them sit at the table, which Edd is quite pleased with. It's certainly shaping up to be a wonderful night, but as he twirls a bite of pasta onto his fork, Terry's suddenly struck with a horrible sense of déjà vu. He realizes, with a sinking feeling, that this is the same meal he shared with Edd that night. When he nearly lost everything. When all the happiness he'd so carefully orchestrated for them had been so callously ripped away. When they'd last shared a beautiful night of intimacy. The memory almost drives his appetite away as panic and unease creep in.

" _Do you dislike it?_ "

Startled from his thoughts, he glances up at Edd, who's pouting back at him. He's already taken a few bites, evidenced by the flecks of sauce on the napkin he'd tucked into his shirt. He starts fidgeting a little.

"I suppose I could've added more appropriate seasoning…" he muses, inspecting his plate, "Or maybe it was just futile to attempt to improve a store-bought sauce…"

Gritting his teeth a little, Terry tries to abolish the déjà vu-inspired anxiety and shoots a smirk Edd's way.

"You kiddin'?" he asks, drawing Edd to look at him again as he takes a bite, "This is the best meal I've had in fuckin' forever."

After a moment, Edd relaxes with a shy smile and returns to his meal. As Terry follows suit, the thoughts slither back in — the thoughts that this heaven is about to come crashing down around him. That any second, Edd's going to make a break for the door, or that he'll grab the phone while Terry's not looking and call home or the police. That he'll have to go back to locking him away and hurting him like before.

But none of that happens. Edd sits across from him, striking up a conversation about much better recipes for sauces he knows that are really simple and cost-effective — _oh, and so healthy too!_ (A not-so-subtle jab about Terry's current diet, but more thoughtful than malicious.) It's…soothing, really; allowing Terry to slowly relax as well, his panic forgotten for now.

Time feels like it flies by for once. After they eat, they sit down to watch television and digest their meal for a bit. Of course, Edd can't hope to put it off too long, and, after an hour of t.v., he's rushing over to the sink to clean the dishes. Terry follows to help him dry, amused by the display. Edd takes his time with each dish, making sure each plate and utensil is absolutely spotless before handing it over to Terry for him to dry or set in the rack.

By the time they finish, they find that they've got less than an hour to go before the big moment. Edd's bubbling with excitement as he skitters back over to the television to find the correct channel, wiping the last remnant of dishwater off of his mostly-dry hands and onto the lounge pants. Terry, meanwhile, places the last dish in the rack to dry before withdrawing the bottle of wine from the fridge. He hasn't opened it since Thanksgiving and there's still just a little bit left. Certainly enough for a New Year's celebration. He takes a quick taste, his face scrunching in response. It's not the _worst_ thing he's ever had, but it's certainly not what he'd call 'good'. With a sigh, he grabs a glass anyway.

It tastes like shit, and it's not champagne, but he supposes it's better than nothin'.

He doesn't bother retrieving a glass for Edd. It's still a bit too soon after how horribly he made the kid feel on Black Friday. He can't do that to him again. At least not yet. Maybe later they can try alcohol again. But not now. Not when they're about to begin the first blessed year of the rest of their lives.

Before joining Edd in front of the t.v., he retrieves his keys from his pocket, eyeing each one carefully. He lingers briefly on the one he'd labeled for the collar. It's the shiniest key in the bunch; so rarely has he used it. He glances back at Edd, who's settled in to some news station. His anxiety from before rears its ugly head again, drawing him to grimace. No. It's stupid to keep dwelling on that. Edd's behavior hasn't been suspicious. Their conversations weren't forced to pass the time. It's a downright domestic evening. Everything up to this point has been perfect and Edd is happy and willingly spending time with him. And that's worth _something_ , right? Taking a breath, he removes the key from the ring before pocketing it separate from the others, briefly wondering if he's got the right choice in mind as he returns to Edd's side.

He takes his seat, drink in hand, and reclines on the couch, stretching his arm out behind Edd and the cushions. Kicking his feet up, he sighs a bit. The typical air-headed hosts are talking to the camera, describing how balls-shrinkingly cold it is in the Big Apple tonight, but how excited they are to see the _big ball_ dropping. It's a whole lot of drivel, but Edd's enjoying the campiness of it. At least until the latest and greatest(?) pop star takes the spotlight, drawing him to pout in disinterest and turn the volume down so it's only slightly audible. With a sigh, he sits back on the couch, leaning against Terry's arm.

"I wonder if Ed and Eddy are watching this too?" he murmurs, more to himself than to the man beside him.

Terry scoffs; "Yeah right. That little Pipsqueak is probably just usin' the excuse to stay up late n' fuck around. I don't think he's gonna be watchin' somethin' like this."

Edd breathes a hollow laugh; "That does sound like Eddy…I imagine, were I with them, I would've been stuck doing all our winter break homework while they ingested their sugary beverages and snack foods — getting more and more riled up so that they'd conveniently be unable to fall asleep after the celebration has ended."

"I dunno what's worse about that," Terry grumbles, "The fact that you're bringin' them up, or that you know you'd be stuck doin' their homework."

Bowing his head a little, Edd shrugs back; "I think a part of me just misses school. Even the prospect of doing other's homework seems favorable."

"Ah, you don't need that school," Terry retorts, "You're already smarter than most adults I know. Frankly, school's just holdin' you back."

Sipping his wine, he notices Edd turning to him out of the corner of his eye.

"As opposed to you abducting me and preventing me from furthering my education?" Edd asks, his tone more daring than before.

Terry shoots him a glare, lowering the glass for just a moment.

"Watch it, Princess."

Rolling his eyes, Edd lapses into silence again. The singer on the screen has finished her performance, but he doesn't turn the volume back up; just watches the commentators banter back and forth. After a few minutes, he looks at Terry again.

"May I ask you something?" he murmurs.

Terry glances at him over his drink, swallowing the bitter taste with a grimace.

"Depends on the question…"

Edd fidgets uneasily; "It's just…something that's been bothering me for a while…"

"What is it?"

Wringing his hands together, Edd takes a deep breath.

"Why…did you feel it was vital to intervene in my life… 'now'?"

Terry cocks his brow, surprised by the question; "Haven't we been over this?"

"Yes, but…" Edd pauses, thinking carefully for a moment, "I mean…why _now?_ Why not wait until I was older? Maybe after I'd finished high school at least? What was so important about… _now?_ I mean, you've told me before how much you hate my age and…I don't know…who's to say I wouldn't have been more receptive to your…'advances' by then?" He avoids looking Terry's way. "So…why not wait until I was older?"

Choosing to ignore the suggestion that Edd would have possibly returned his affections later in life, Terry shrugs, sighing a little.

"I dunno…" he mumbles, scratching the back of his neck, "Guess I just…got too impatient." He stares into the static that occasionally permeates the screen. "I didn't wanna wait that long. I don't…think I _could've_."

Another silence, this one a bit longer, during which time, Edd traces his own patterns into the fabric of the couch.

"May I ask another?"

Terry shrugs, focusing more on the screen.

"What would you have done…" Edd begins, glancing at him, "if you really… _had_ come home that day? When Eddy spread that rumor? Would…you have tried to take me then?"

"What's got you so interested all of a sudden ?" Terry asks, his brow cocked.

Edd shrugs back; "I'm just curious."

Humming softly, Terry distracts himself with the swirling wine in his glass.

"Probably not…" he answers after a moment, earning a startled look from Edd, "Too many witnesses. They woulda tied it to me too easy and tracked me down before we got outta Peach Creek. But…I admit it woulda been hard not to. Bein' that close and havin' to pretend I didn't wanna bend you over the kitchen table. Or not bein' able to slip away with you to my old bedroom or somethin'." He slowly brings the glass to his lips. "Woulda been goddamn torture."

As he sips down the bitter wine, he spots Edd bowing his head, his shoulders hunching. Swallowing, he lowers his glass and turns his attention back to Edd.

"My turn," he clears his throat, sitting up a little straighter, "What would _you_ have done if I'd gone home that day?"

Edd brushes his hair back behind his ear, the hint of a blush spreading along his cheeks.

"W-Well, I…" he mumbles, gulping uneasily, "If I were to be honest, I don't…know that it would've been too terribly difficult for you to…t-to have coerced me to spend time with you. You know, _outside_ of Eddy assuredly having us spend every waking moment in your shadow." He worries his lip between his teeth for a moment. "I'm…ashamed to admit…that I may have thought just as highly of you as he did. I may not have been particularly fond of the _methods_ you seemed to employ for the ventures Eddy told us about, but he framed you as some sort of legend, making the prospect of meeting you seem so impossible — even mythical. And…if you'd given me the kind of attention I…imagine you would have, I…" He shrugs.

That, on top of the previous implication has Terry's head spinning. To know that, not only would Edd have possibly reciprocated his desires, but that he would have been _eager_ to be around him even now? Just like that? That all he would've had to do was come home and shower him with attention and a little affection and Edd would've been eating out of the palms of his hands?! _Goddammit! You're tellin' me it woulda been that goddamn easy?!_

But even with this blessed news, Terry knows that it's probably best not to push the issue any further than allowing Edd to admit that. Instead, he decides to throw a more softball question at him next to ease the tension.

"Say, whatever happened to that old car?" he asks, "The one I kept in my room."

Another shrug as Edd recovers a bit; "It looked to be in relatively good condition — at least in regards to its exterior. Though I doubt it would run any longer; it's surely been idle for too long. Not to mention the lack of upkeep of the interior. Did you use it as a trash can or something?"

Terry laughs; "You could say that. It was a 'gift' from my old man. So I put it in my bedroom to fuck with him. Decided to just throw shit away in it to piss him off even more."

"Why were you so adamant about getting under your father's skin?" Edd asks, "I know you dislike him terribly, but I truly struggle to believe he was really _that_ bad."

"Believe it, Princess; he was a piece of shit," Terry scoffs back, "Still is, too. I told you; I grew up knowing how much he fuckin' hated me. My mom too, but…she at least gave me the benefit of the fuckin' doubt every now and then. My old man was ready to blame every tiny thing on _me_ and wasn't afraid to beat the message in. So whenever they'd give me lil 'gifts' like that — tryin' to make up for their own shitty behavior of whatever — I'd do something to it to piss 'em off."

Edd studies him carefully before bowing his head.

"At least they put in the effort…" he murmurs.

"Hm?" Terry shoots the boy a suspicious look.

With a sigh, Edd sits up a bit; "I said, 'at least they put in the effort'. It's…more than my own parents would do. As you've so eloquently pointed out before; Mother and Father usually kept me at arms length. They'd do the occasional nice thing every once in a while, but…it would usually relate to my schoolwork and wouldn't be much more than a nice note on a prepared lunch. It sounds like _your_ mother and father would at least put in an effort to make it up to you."

"Really?" Terry arches his brow, "Didn't you say your folks loved you _so much?_ What happened to that, Princess?"

Edd gives him a shy glance; "I…thought they did. But…looking back on a lot of it, I can't deny that they could be somewhat standoffish at times."

"Why though?" Terry scoffs, choosing _not_ to throw out an 'I told you so' just yet, "What's their goddamn problem, anyway? It's like they didn't even want a kid, but they put all that pressure on you to be their little clone? Were they just compensating for their little accident?"

He's met with a short silence after that as Edd stares down at his own hands.

"In a way…" he mumbles, "Yes."

Terry's taken aback by that answer; "Wait, were you really—"

"No, no," Edd retorts, shaking his head, "It's not that _I_ was the accident…it's…what I _did…_ "

"What you did?" Terry grimaces, "What, did you miss a spot scrubbing a bathroom tile with yer goddamn toothbrush or somethin'?"

Edd shakes his head again. He brings his hand up slowly, toying with the hair near his temple the way he often does when he's feeling anxious.

"I…did something…terrible," he explains, "Something that…made us move away from our original home."

He's started shaking very slightly. Terry sits up a little more, setting aside the near-empty glass so he can give Edd his full attention.

"And what is it that was so bad?"

Edd looks at him, his brow furrowed; "I don't…think you'd want to hear it. It's…not a very pleasant story."

Resting his hand on the back of Edd's neck, Terry gently strokes the soft skin there and toys with the collar.

"I wanna know," he coos softly, "I want you to tell me."

Taking another deep breath, Edd pulls his legs up, hugging them to his chest.

"I suppose there's no reason to hide it…" he murmurs before returning his attention to Terry, "When I was in kindergarten, I was…mercilessly targeted in dodgeball. I'd go home with bruises and headaches that'd last hours and hours, but no matter how hard I cried or how much I or even my parents would plead with the teacher to let me sit out, he showed me no mercy."

Terry's fingers curl into a shaking fist and he hopes more than anything that Edd will give him a _fucking_ name along with that. Something he can use to track this motherfucker down and beat him to death for letting his delicate little Princess hurt like that. To mercilessly and brutally torture him for daring to make Edd cry. To see him suffer the way he made his darling suffer.

But no, Edd presses on, his tone strained.

"After one too many hits to the head," he sighs, "I…decided to try retaliating. Since I couldn't hope to match them in physical prowess, I…put my mechanical skills to use by designing a fully-functional and…dangerous cannon meant to shoot dodgeballs back at my attackers."

"Really?" Terry smirks, resting his chin against his fist, "You did that?"

Edd nods, but doesn't look nearly as proud to be retelling this as Terry is hearing it.

"It ended up working a little…too well," he admits, "And all of my classmates wound up with horrific injuries."

"Sounds like those little shits deserved it."

Edd shakes his head, cringing a bit; "Whether they deserved it or not, I felt terrible. I was responsible for so many injuries at once. Naturally, I was made to issue a public apology to my school…It was one of the most humiliating moments of my entire life." He begins shyly rubbing his arms. "They treated me like a criminal — put me in handcuffs and marched me out in front of everyone. Many parents were after my head for what I'd done to their children, but they seemed at least somewhat satisfied by my testimony in front of the angry crowd and flashing lights. They still yelled out demands to have me locked up or…worse, but they didn't intervene when it was over and the police were escorting me away."

"I thought you said you were in _kindergarten?_ " Terry notes, gritting his teeth in a grimace at the mental image of a tiny, frightened, preschool-aged Edd struggling to raise his hands or even _move_ with the heavy police cuffs around his fragile wrists.

Edd nods back, his head bowed. He doesn't say anything for a long time, so Terry decides to press on.

"So you got back at a bunch of shitty brats who hurt you and a bunch of their parents were all butt-hurt about it," he asks, "What does that have to do with your folks?"

Tensing a bit Edd finally looks up at him again.

"Mother and Father received even more harassment," he explains, lowering his legs to hang over the cushions, "Angry parents told them that they were responsible for my behavior — we received threatening phone calls day and night, even after my public apology. I wasn't allowed back in that school — they'd expelled me already — but the harassment led us to not only change school districts, but even towns. That's when we moved to Peach Creek." He breathes a sigh. "It's…also when Mother and Father became more…'distant'. More strict. Less involved. They've always used sticky notes to communicate about small things, but…it became almost exclusively the way we communicated after that. But they still wanted me to excel in my new school in an effort to forget that horrible incident; making up for it with even better grades and the most flawless reputation." He pauses, his head bowed as he fidgets uncomfortably. "So…in a way; yes. 'Compensating' is…a good way to put it."

Terry's not totally sure how to respond to any of that. The urge to snap back with an 'I told you so' comes to mind again — to remind Edd that he was _right:_ that they _didn't_ care about him. That they _didn't_ love him. But he's not sure he _can_ say that. Because now he can see that Edd blames _himself_ for that fact. That Edd doesn't see it as them being neglectful because they're just shitty people, but that they neglect him as a form punishment. That he's unworthy of their love until he can make up for something he did as a fucking _toddler_ in response to the abuse he faced at the hands of his peers and the faculty. A mindset his parents, it seems, never acted against. The way Eddy talked about their reaction to Edd's disappearance…Christmas day…That phone call…It all seems so clear to him. That they'd act like Edd's something that can be replaced. _Because that's how they fucking see him. Why else would they act like that? Or make him think like this?_

So, add 'driving back to Preach Creek to rip that bitch's head off' to the responses that immediately come to mind. He's only brought from his rage by Edd shaking his head.

"I'm sorry…" he mumbles, forcing a shaky laugh, "I shouldn't have…said anything. I didn't mean to talk about this — I-I know it's unpleasant to hear…"

Terry carefully controls his breathing, trying to focus on comforting him.

"I'm glad ya told me," he retorts, managing to keep his tone measured, "I wanna know everything about you." He pauses. "How did _Pipsqueak_ take that kinda news?" _As if he cares…_

Hunching his shoulders, Edd plays with the hem of the t-shirt.

"Actually, I've…never told anyone that story…" he admits, "I always thought that…anyone who heard it would…" he shrugs, "resent me the way Mother and Father do…"

Okay, so the very notion that Edd would share something so personal with him and him alone helps quell the rage at least a little. But he tries not to dwell on that victory. Gotta focus on Edd. _Take care of Edd first._ Taking a more calming breath, he places his hands on Edd's cheeks, urging the boy to look at him.

"C'mon, now, Princess," he coos, "You know _I_ could never resent you for somethin' like that. Some ancient history bullshit from preschool? That shit doesn't matter. It doesn't make you any less perfect to me."

Edd gazes back at him, his eyes darting over his face before he looks away and reaches up to push his hands away.

"I'm…broken…" he murmurs, almost too soft for Terry to hear.

"You're what?"

"That's what you said…" he sniffles, "You said 'someone broke me'."

 _When the fuck did I…? Aw shit._

"What…when I brought you home? No, no…" Terry argues, hoping he can save this through a bit of frantic damage control, "I was just surprised. Pipsqueak never told me about…" His eyes flicker over the scar along Edd's hairline. "…that. I saw it and was so…angry. Angry that someone else might've hurt you. That's all."

Edd shakes his head; "You _said_ …I was broken."

With a sigh, Terry lowers his hands to Edd's hips. Dammit. He might've fucked himself over with that gut reaction. He glances briefly at the television. Seems like they've got around seven or eight minutes to go? Goddammit, he wants to start the year _right_ — not by making Edd feel worse! Closing his eyes, he rests his forehead against Edd's own, gently stroking his hip.

"Yes, I did say that, but…" he breathes, opening his eyes to gaze down at him, "I'm broken too…"

Edd pouts up at him, giving him a suspicious look; "You don't have—"

"My folks fucking abandoned me," Terry stresses, silencing him, "My old man wailed on me more times than I could count and now they try to act like I was never there." He sits back a bit to gesture at the rest of the trailer. "I live alone in this shithole working a job I don't care about." He pauses, gently cupping Edd's jaw with his hands and stroking his cheek with his thumb. "You're the only thing in my life that makes living it fucking _bearable_."

Edd still looks uncertain as he gazes unwaveringly back into Terry's eyes, as though he's simply unable to look away. Terry leans in a little closer.

"No one could possibly understand you better than me," he breathes, pressing his nose to Edd's, "And no one could possibly complete me the way you do."

They're but a breath away from each other. Not once does Edd struggle, or resist, or mutter a half-formed plea. But his eyelids droop, his breathing gets shaky, and his lips part slightly.

Terry lowers his voice even further; "Be broken with me, Princess."

He hesitates but a moment, allowing Edd a brief chance to respond. And respond he does. Whether he does so intentionally or not, he doesn't immediately reel back as his eyes slip shut and as he closes the gap between them, joining their lips so sweetly, so tenderly. Terry sighs softly, holding him still. He doesn't try adding any tongue, choosing to leave this moment slightly more chaste as a reward for Edd kissing him first. He peeks at the television, his brow furrowing a bit.

Five minutes.

So close. The ball will begin its decent soon. They've set the foundation perfectly.

But he could still do more.

He slowly pulls away from the kiss, stroking Edd's cheek as he gazes at him in deep, desperate yearning. Edd's still slightly lost in the bliss, his brow furrowed and eyes closed. Licking his lips, Terry reaches into his pocket.

"My Princess," he murmurs, placing a delicate kiss to Edd's cheek, as he produces the key, "All I want is to make you happy."

As Edd opens his eyes, he misses Terry reaching around him and taking the collar in his hands. Terry watches him carefully as he finds the tiny lock. It feels rough, drawing him to worry about corrosion as he slips the key in.

"How do I…"

Edd's question dies on his lips, his eyes a bit wider as he feels Terry's hands moving near his neck. Wider still, as, with just the slightest bit of force, the lock _clicks_ open. He's facing Terry, but his gaze goes through him as tears well in his eyes. The leather tries to cling to itself and Edd's neck as Terry takes his time unbuckling the restraint. Edd starts shaking as the collar is removed, and as it's dropped unceremoniously to the floor with a satisfying _thunk_.

Four.

Terry says nothing, waiting for Edd to respond. The shock keeps him perfectly still, save for his quivering. He worries, briefly, if said shock is _too much_ , before Edd brings his hands up to gingerly touch the pale skin of his neck, now free of any obstruction. His tears fall fresh and unhindered, his shaking ramping up tenfold. His eyes slip shut with a shuddering sigh as he traces the contours of his own flesh, his brows knitting together and his mouth opening to let the uneven breath in and out.

Steeling himself, Terry gently takes Edd's wrist in his hand, drawing his attention.

"I wanna start over," he breathes, taking Edd's hand fully into his own, "And be the family we both _need._ "

Three.

Edd doesn't answer immediately, presumably still overcome by the sensation of having his neck bare for the first time in months. He stares back at Terry, as though he didn't hear him properly. He exhales softly.

"Y-You won't…hurt me again…" he whimpers, "will you? Y-You won't…" He glances at the collar on the floor. "You won't…put that back on me…Will you?"

Brow furrowed, Terry cups his cheek with his free hand.

"As pretty as it looked on you," he answers, "if it'll make you happy; I won't. Just as long as you stay with me." He leans a bit closer. " _Be_ with me."

Two.

The crowd in the screen is getting louder — more excited. Bowing his head, Edd doesn't answer right away, too lost in his own thoughts. Terry grits his teeth a bit, feeling more than a little impatient to get this moving. He leans into Edd's ear.

"What do you have to lose?" he hisses, "No family. No friends. Nowhere to go to find _anyone_ who'll love you as much as I do."

Edd whimpers, shutting his eyes a bit. _Damn. Bring it back._

"I'll make you happy," Terry swears, "Give you everything your little heart desires — give you the goddamn moon and more."

Edd peeks at the television screen, his brow furrowed. Moments later, the seconds are displayed as the ball begins its descent.

One.

Terry prods Edd's cheek with his finger, urging him to look at him again.

"Just…" his own breathing is becoming erratic, "Be mine."

No answer as Edd hunches his shoulders, his fingers curling into a fist. Thirty seconds. _Come on!_ The clock ticks closer and closer to zero. _Please._ Finally, Edd raises his head, gazing up into Terry's eyes. Hiccuping a bit, he gives a slow, uncertain nod. _Good enough._ Terry leans in again to capture his lips in a much more passionate kiss, just as the ball touches down and the crowd cheers with the music of _Auld Lang Syne_ playing triumphantly in the background.

[" _Happy New Year!_ "]

So close to perfection! There's only one thing that could possibly make it better…

Terry pulls away from the kiss with a soft sigh, gently stroking Edd's cheek. He hesitates but a moment, unsure if the suggestion will push this too far. Edd slowly opens his eyes, still a bit dazed.

"Let's start the year right, Princess," he purrs, squeezing Edd's hand.

That phrasing seems to confuse him, as Edd doesn't respond past furrowing his brow and cocking his head to the side. Probably best to give him a gentle nudge. Holding Edd's gaze, Terry brings his knuckles to his lips, placing tender kisses over the little fingers.

"Haven't I been good?" he whispers, nuzzling the back of Edd's hand with his cheek, "Haven't I proven how much you mean to me?"

Edd seems to slowly realize where he's going with this, his cheeks turning pink. Terry leans in a bit closer.

"Let me show you how much I love you."

Hunching his shoulders, Edd squeezes his hand back.

"I…I can't…" he murmurs, shivering again, "it hurts…"

"I'll be gentle," Terry promises, kissing Edd's knuckles again, "I'll go slow…" _Not like there's a rush._ "I wanna make you feel good too."

Edd still doesn't look convinced as he stares down at the couch.

"Would you…" he gulps softly, "s…stop…if I ask you to?"

Terry feels a rush of excitement, realizing just how close he's getting with this sappy talk, but manages to school his expression as he nuzzles Edd's hand again.

"Of course I would," he swears, "Anything for you."

For a long time, Edd doesn't respond, his eyes drifting between the television and the couch beneath him.

"You won't…use those…" he gags a bit, "'objects'…will you…?"

Terry shakes his head; "Won't need 'em for this, sweetheart."

Another long pause, but this time, Edd's muttering inaudibly to himself, his lips moving as he debates to no one in particular. Finally, he takes a deep breath and seems to brace himself. He doesn't speak, just offers a timid nod, his breathing a little uneasy. Pleased, Terry grabs the remote and switches off the television, cutting off the celebration.

"Alright," he grins, "Let's go."

* * *

 _A/N: Full credit for the dodgeball story goes to Raveneesimo on DeviantArt. She was a storyboarder for EEnE who worked on Big Picture Show and openly discussed this reveal that was cut from the movie within the comments on her DeviantArt piece: "Remembering The Incident." Unfortunately, I can't easily post links here, but if you type in 'Remembering the Incident by Raveneesimo' into your search engine (Google, Yahoo, etc.), it should be the first result. I took a bit of liberty for this fic, but the basic summary came from her. So, credit where credit's due._


	41. Ch 40 - Pleased as Bro

As Terry scoops Edd up into his arms, he's certain this must be some kind of dream. His heart is pounding and his vision is tunneling slightly as he makes a beeline for the bedroom with his precious cargo clinging to him. Edd's quivering a bit, but he hardly notices as he carries his little bride over the threshold, his mind set on the wedding night to follow. Maybe that's it? The undeniable victory of coercing his Princess into sex after so _fucking_ long without it feels akin to newly-wedded bliss.

He intends to make the honeymoon phase last as long as _fucking_ possible.

Setting Edd on the bed, he notices that he's no less relaxed than before. His shivering has gotten even worse and he's making no eye contact. Terry sheds his robe and tries his damnedest to maintain control over the lust that's quickly consuming him. It's not like before. He can't just jump into this the way he used to. He's barely got his little beloved on the hook as it is. If he's not careful, he might scare Edd away from intimacy again and _fuck_ if he's gonna go back to waiting days — _weeks, even_ — for more. But if he's careful — if he takes it slow, and makes Edd feel as good as _he's_ about to — then maybe it can become a routine like it was before (albeit with a little less aggression).

Returning his focus to the quivering child, he finds that Edd hasn't started undressing himself at all. He's fidgeting terribly, his fists clenching so tight, Terry half-expects his palms to start bleeding from the sharp little nails digging into his tender flesh. His breathing is uneven and shallow, indicative of a possible panic attack. _Fuck._ If only they had some candles to set the mood and help relax him…

Taking a calming breath of his own, Terry casts aside his desire for the moment and settles down beside him.

"C'mere, sweetheart," he coos, petting his hair and delicately uncurling one of Edd's fists.

No bleeding, but there are certainly a set of harsh, red crescents against the pale flesh. He runs his thumb over the indentations, hoping to smooth them away. If nothing else, it seems to work on Edd's breathing, which begins to slow. Edd leans into the gentle touch, his expression immersed in a need for comfort.

"P-Please…" he whimpers, "Th-This doesn't…feel right."

 _No, goddammit! We agreed!_ Gritting back his annoyance, Terry leans forward to speak softly into his ear. He moves his hand from the back of Edd's head to his neck, stroking the skin there.

"Sure it's right," he breathes, his lips grazing the shell of Edd's ear, "I wanna make you feel good, Princess."

Tentatively, Edd glances up at him.

"I'm…" he pauses, swallowing thickly, "…s-scared…"

 _Yeah, no shit._

"What are you so scared of?" Terry asks, hoping his tone doesn't sound quite as patronizing as he thinks it might be, "I won't hurt you."

"Y-Yes you _will_ …" Edd whimpers back, pulling his hand away, "It…a- _always_ hurts…"

Always? Oh… _Fuck._ There's not a whole helluva lot he can do about _that_ part. Edd withdraws again, rubbing the back of the hand Terry had been so lovingly caressing. Dammit…Before they can hope to move forward, Terry has to convince him that there's nothing to be afraid of. Exhaling his frustration, he places his hands on Edd's shoulders. He doesn't grab him or try to hold him down, just redirects his attention away from the sheets and back to his face.

"Princess," he breathes, "I swear, I won't hurt you." He starts stroking Edd's hair, brushing it away from his face. "We're gonna take our time. Go nice n' slow. No chains. No handcuffs. No leash. Doesn't that sound nice?"

Eyes darting over his face, Edd's breathing becomes shallow like before, his mind clearly spinning. His shoulders fall and he heaves a sigh through his nose, his eyes drifting away from Terry's face again.

"Show me…" he murmurs, "That…y-you'll go slow…a-and gentle…"

Oh, so he needs a demonstration? Donning a grin that he prays isn't as wicked as he thinks it is, Terry tilts Edd's chin up, making the child face him again. Edd offers no resistance as he gazes back at him, his eyes lingering uncertainly on Terry's own. Terry holds his gaze as he slides his hand down Edd's arm, his fingers catching on the fabric of his shirt but a moment before releasing it again. Down past the delicate wrist to briefly caress the little hand, then back up along the tender thigh to his hip. Edd's shivers quell slightly, submitting to the warmth of Terry's touch. With his other hand, Terry uses his thumb to stroke Edd's cheek, delighting in the gentle swoon the boy responds with.

As those lovely emerald eyes become obscured by their drooping lids, Terry leans in for a kiss, his own eyes closing. He feels the slight gasp and Edd's hands upon his arms; a reflexive action in response to the sudden contact. The clutching fingers uncurl, however, and he allows Terry to pull him closer. Keeping his eyes shut, Terry traces contours of Edd's body. The slight slope of his soft little hips. The gentle curve of his backside as he traces to his thigh and as he carefully lowers the little body down to the mattress. The crook of his knee as he presses that warm flesh to his own, hatefully barred by the fabric of the lounge pants Edd's refused to remove just yet. _No problem._

 _We got time._

As he drags his hand back up Edd's body so torturously slow, he prods at the boy's lips with his tongue; a polite little plea for access to heaven. Naturally, Edd's hesitant; his little claws coming back out and pricking his upper arms and shoulders. After a moment, though he doesn't relinquish his grip, Edd timidly parts his lips, allowing Terry's tongue to slip inside. Terry feels as though a jolt of electricity shoots through him. He loses himself for a moment, crushing their lips together and clutching Edd more tightly against him with a moan. The sensation of Edd's mouth, reluctantly open and submitting to him is enough to make the man's head spin. Fuck…he wants to get to the good part. To tear away Edd's clothes and bury himself in that tight, wonderful heat. To ravage his perfect, beloved little angel as he finally achieves satisfaction for the first time in weeks.

Gritting his teeth, however, he forces that urge down and manages to regain control over his own body. Easing himself off of the boy, he removes his fingers from the back of Edd's neck to lean against that arm and push himself up a bit. Edd pants heavily, as though he'd been holding his breath the entire time they'd been connected. Wait, had he? Terry realizes that he doesn't really recall that much from when he'd been lost in his lips, particularly how long he'd let that go on. Fuck it. _Fuck it!_ Edd's not afraid or anything. Just a little out of breath. Putting it out of his mind, he moves on.

His own eyelids drooping, Terry leans forward to begin peppering little kisses along Edd's jaw. The whimpers and whines the action earns him sound so sweet to his ears, spurring him on to nip and suck here and there as well. As Edd tenses a bit, his fingers clenching against Terry's arms and his knees pressing against the broad body between them, Terry's hand begins its journey up Edd's side again, fingers slipping beneath the extra large T-shirt. Allowing his thumb to hook on the hem of the garment, he begins pushing the shirt up while making blessed contact with that soft, heated flesh.

Edd gasps again, his fingers closing around Terry's wrist. Terry glances up at him, his brow cocked. Rather than return his gaze, Edd keeps his eyes shut, his face red. Breathing a soft sigh against his neck, Terry leans up just a bit towards his reddening ear.

"Relax, Princess," he coos, fighting the urge to smirk at the shiver that races down Edd's body, "Let yourself enjoy it."

Wincing, Edd slowly relinquishes his grip on Terry's wrist, his anxious shivering returning as he struggles to find a use for his free hand. Lowering himself back down a little more, Teary takes that hand and guides it to the back of his neck. Finally, Edd opens his eyes to look at him.

"Just hold onto me, sweetheart."

Taking a deep breath, Edd nods, though he's hesitant to maintain any kind of hold on the man. Satisfied with Edd's compliance, Terry returns his attention to kissing and sucking along his jaw and neck, leaving the prettiest marks against the pale flesh. The absence of the collar gives him access to skin that he hasn't touched in so goddamn long and it's definitely reflected in Edd's little gasps and tiny moans. Moans that are furthered, of course, by Terry's hand returning to the small, delicate hip and gently rubbing the naked skin he's slowly revealing.

He moves his hand further up, lightly pinching and stroking every inch of flesh he comes into contact with. When he finally has the shirt up under Edd's arms, he sits up again. Edd shivers against the loss of contact, and gazes up at him questioningly.

"Sit up, Princess," Terry commands gently, "And take that off for me."

Startled, Edd shrinks in on himself again, digging his fingers into the fabric of the oversized shirt. Terry doesn't push him, waiting patiently for Edd to obey. With a shaking, whining sigh, Edd does indeed acquiesce. He doesn't sit up, but he does pull his arms into the sleeves before pushing the shirt up and off. Without his fabric armor, he attempts to shield himself with his arms, his blushing face burning a still-darker red. Terry releases the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding and leans over the shivering form.

"Don't hide from me, darlin'," he tuts softly as he pushes Edd's hands away.

The sight of Edd's naked torso sends another wave of desire rippling through him as Terry begins tracing his fingers down the boy's hip. Edd recoils from his touch at first, but manages to relax his body again after a moment, allowing the tender caress of his quivering flesh. Terry moves his hand up slowly past the elegant dip and across the tiny chest. Whining softly, Edd squirms a bit beneath him, his shoulders rolling. Again, he's unable to find a use for his hands, resorting to timid fumbling with the sheets. _I can fix that_. With a smirk, Terry slides his hands up either side of Edd's chest and uses his thumbs to tease the boy's hardening nipples.

The sharp gasp Edd releases as he slaps his hands down on Terry's wrists is too fucking adorable. Delighted, Terry increases his efforts, pushing, rubbing and leaning in to wrap his lips around one of the little nubs. Edd's hands quickly jump from tugging at Terry's wrists to the back of the man's head; digging his fingers into the dark hair. His little legs squeeze Terry's waist as he tries to curl up again, and as his back arches. Terry's eyes slip shut as he relishes in those pretty little noises, humming around Edd's nipple in hopes of drawing out more. Ah, and indeed he does get more as Edd releases a cry.

"T-Terry!" he whines, though Terry notes it's less in ecstasy and sounds more like denial.

He offers the gentlest squeeze with his teeth in return, making the boy yelp. It almost gets a laugh out of him as he sits up, leaving the wet little nipple with a long lick as he goes. Panting slightly, Edd pulls his arms and hands back in close to his chest. His brow is furrowed and he's looking away shamefully. _Dammit…_ Terry sighs, realizing that he'll have to just push past it. They're not on any kind of time limit, of course, but he doesn't want to hit sunrise before they've even gotten to the main event.

With that in mind, he hooks his thumbs into the waistband of the lounge pants and begins pulling them down off of Edd's hips. He leaves the boxers for now — he did promise to go slow, after all — but the boy still moves to protest.

"Easy, Princess," Terry purrs, "I ain't goin' any farther than this till you're ready."

That seems to be enough to deflate the boy again, allowing Terry to pull the pants off and cast them aside. He seems to be comforted somewhat by the fact that neither of them are completely naked yet, but he still doesn't let himself completely relax. Taking a breath to quell the irritated thoughts, Terry places his hands on either side of Edd's hips, squeezing them ever-so slightly. The action startles the boy, but only for a moment before he lays his head back, shutting his eyes tight. Terry doesn't lean over him again just yet as he begins moving down the lovely legs, leaving light squeezes in a trail down the plush thighs concealed from his sight by the boxers, past the knobby little knees that are so drawn to each other, to the weak calves and shins that draw a tiny giggle from his darling. Terry lingers there the longest, watching Edd squirm and giggle in delight.

How could he be so foolish as to forget that his beloved is this ticklish?

Only now does he lean over Edd again, letting the boy's giggles dwindle away but a moment as he begins poking and prodding and barely brushing his fingers along Edd's middle. Those precious giggles morph into laughter as his body writhes, and his hands come down to push against Terry's shoulders. Allowing Edd's mirth to distract him, Terry leans in to nuzzle his jaw and place sucking kisses to his neck.

Edd's laughter dissipates very slowly as the large body settles over him again. His hands stray from the broad shoulders, finding each other around the man's neck and linking together. With a grin, Terry pulls himself up to kiss his way back to those sinfully sweet lips. Edd melts against him, moaning softly as Terry manipulates his legs like a rag doll. Wrapping them around his waist and holding them there just long enough to be sure they'll stay in place, squeezing his hips as he slides his tongue against the sensitive gums between the gap in Edd's teeth. With a hand on Edd's ass, kneading the malleable flesh beneath the fabric, he begins rocking his hips against the shuddering form.

To his never-ending delight, he notices that his little Princess is indeed falling prey to his affectionate efforts. After all, there's no way in hell that the hardness he feels near his naval is anything less than the boy's arousal. Whether Edd would admit to it or not, on some level, he's loving this. He certainly doesn't protest to the stimulation. Emboldened by this development, Terry carefully slides his underwear off, fumbling a bit against his own erection. The feeling of Edd's legs against his bare waist sends a shiver shooting up his spine. Fuck! He's not sure how much longer he can keep this up. He wants to pick up the _fucking pace!_ He wants to tear away the boxers Edd's tied off at his hips and lose himself to the ecstasy!

But no. Edd's sad little face flashes in his mind — the inevitable result should he allow himself to rush this. He's so damn close to heaven! Just gotta push through and he'll be able to fully enjoy it! Breathing deep and slow, he breaks away from the kiss. Edd doesn't seem to be ready for the separation, whining softly as he tries to re-establish their connection. Well, of _course_ , Terry takes a moment to acquiesce to such an attempt, letting Edd cling tightly to him. He drags his hands back down Edd's sides until he reaches the last little bit of defense between them.

As he hooks his fingers beneath the waistband and starts pulling the clothing down, Edd finally snaps out of his dream-like ecstasy and gasps softly against his lips. His eyes are wide as he pushes him away, opening his mouth to protest. But, to Terry's surprise, he slowly shuts his mouth again, his shoulders hunching as he glances down to watch the underwear's decent off of his hips and down his thighs until they're discarded entirely, leaving him naked and vulnerable to the man above him. For a brief moment, he curls in on himself in a pitiful attempt to hide from the man who's shamelessly devouring him with his eyes, but he manages to lay out again after he calms, still burning in embarrassment.

Lowering himself down over the quivering form, Terry relishes the sensation of Edd's skin against his own. So soft, and warm, and fucking _perfect_. He's drawn immediately back to Edd's neck, peppering kisses along his collarbone and nuzzling his jaw. Edd's soft panting echoes beautifully in his ears as Terry goes back to stroking the boy's tender thigh. He's eventually barred, however, from burying his face into Edd's neck as the boy hunches his shoulders, tucking his chin to his chest.

So, instead, he begins moving down Edd's body. Trailing kisses down his chest, stopping only to give special attention to his nipples again. He can feel Edd's heart beating like mad beneath his lips, though he assumes that's from the anticipation rather than fear at this point. The deeply pleasured look on Edd's face certainly suggests that that's the case, at least.

Further down, past Edd's navel where he dips his tongue into the little belly button just to get the cutest little yelp of surprise, and further still until he's facing the boy's erection. Licking his lips, he gives it a few strokes before engulfing the entire length. Ah! That sexy little gasp his beloved lets slip! The clinging of those tiny, shaking hands into his hair. The way those slender hips arch upwards into the wet heat surrounding his cock. Such a goddamn beautiful sight, but one that Terry chooses to shut his eyes to as he lifts Edd's legs to rest over his shoulders. As much as he loves to watch his Princess come undone by his mouth, he wants to _hear_ him lose himself more than anything.

And lose himself he does. Incoherent babbling is the most that Edd can muster. Half-formed pleas and stuttering moans, all laced with the man's name sneaking in when Terry gives a particularly sharp suck. By the time he realizes Edd's close to orgasm, the child's practically curled himself around his head. His hands digging into his scalp as he presses Terry's forehead into his stomach so hard that Terry can feel the cartilage in his nose shifting against Edd's pelvis. His little legs squeezing the sides of the man's head. His sharp, desperate breaths hot as they splash against the broad expanse of Terry's back.

For a moment, Terry considers letting Edd cum then and there. If anything will relax him, it's certainly that, and fuck if he doesn't want to watch Edd lying limp and ready for him to _really_ begin. But then again, perhaps if he's able to delay the boy's orgasm, he'll be more receptive to the penetration to follow? It's the latter notion that draws Terry to gingerly push his beloved's clinging arms off of him as he completely ceases his ministrations. He almost laughs as Edd stutters out questions and accusations.

"Wh-What are you…" he gasps, breathless from the pleasure, "Y-You said—"

"We ain't done yet, sweetheart," Terry purrs back, easing Edd's legs back down off of his shoulders as he rises to sit up, "And it'll feel even _better_ here in just a sec."

Edd's back to mumbling his uncertainties as Terry leans over to the bedside table to retrieve a bottle of lube; after which, he falls silent. As Terry spreads a significant amount of the clear gel-like material over his fingers, he notices the boy fidgeting again.

"B-Be…gentle…" he reminds softly.

"Of course I will," Terry chuckles, setting the tube aside, "Now, just lie back, and relax."

Taking a few deep breaths, Edd obeys, laying his head back and closing his eyes. With one hand on Edd's cock to maintain his arousal, Terry begins teasing Edd's asshole. He knows better than to rush this part. It's been weeks since he fucked him. Not only could he hurt Edd, he might hurt _himself_ if he's not careful. Slow and steady really is the key here. His little darling moans and whines against the tender touch, his toes curling and his sphincter clenching and unclenching in anticipation.

Then Terry begins pushing one finger in.

Of course, there's a bit of resistance. Edd grunts in discomfort, his eyes screwing shut against the penetration. Terry waits until he starts to calm, watching his face carefully as he moves a fraction of an inch at a time. When he's got his finger in up to his knuckle, he waits again, watching Edd's expression like a hawk. Only when Edd's face and rectum relax does he begin moving his finger back out and then back in — all tantalizingly slow.

Only when he's able to more quickly pump his finger in and out does he dare to add a second. Edd whimpers against the fresh discomfort, but still doesn't openly protest. It's clearly not 'painful' yet; just uncomfortable as all hell. That's fine; Terry can work with 'uncomfortable'. So he pauses, letting Edd acclimate as long as he needs to before slipping the second finger further in. Then further still, until he's got the appendage in fully with the first. Pausing again, letting Edd relax around the intrusion, then scissoring his fingers slowly to stretch Edd out.

Arching his back, Edd gasps, tensing against the sensation and clutching the sheets in his fists. Terry loses track of just how long he spends stretching him out with the two fingers, but eventually he's able to add the third. Certainly, this is the most painful part so far, as Edd becomes more vocal: crying out and whining.

"Just relax, sweetheart," Terry reminds him, stroking the small, softening cock.

Hunching his shoulders, Edd fights to control his breathing, willing his body to relax as much as he can so that Terry can continue. Deeper and deeper until he's able to fit all three fingers inside, going as slowly and as carefully as he can. Only after Terry feels Edd's stretched comfortably enough does he finally relent, grabbing the bottle of lube again. Edd blinks his eyes open, glancing at him breathlessly as Terry holds the bottle up.

"Last chance, Princess," he offers, "If you wanna stop, I gotta stop now."

Brow furrowed, Edd's eyes flicker between the bottle and Terry's face. For a brief, terrifying moment, Terry worries that Edd will indeed ask him to stop— to leave him starving for the carnal pleasure he's been denied for so damn long.

But he doesn't. Instead, Edd shakes his head.

"Just…g-go slow…" he mumbles, his cheeks a bright red.

Well, shit. That's about all the incentive Terry needs. He tries not to let his eagerness show too much as he applies a generous coat of lube over his cock. It doesn't take much to get him to full erection after all that, and he's finally lining up his cock against Edd's anus. With one hand on Edd's hip to hold him steady, he starts pushing in. It's goddamn torture. It takes all the willpower he has to not thrust in completely. To instead move as slow as fucking possible into that almost unbearably tight heat. His eyes snap shut and his breathes come short and fast between his grunting as he places his other hand on Edd's hip to control how fast he can push into him. He can hear Edd gasping and groaning with him, his little hands slapping over the larger wrists. Not to push him away, but to gain purchase on _something_.

Fully sheathed. Fucking _finally!_ Terry pants heavily, squeezing Edd's hips with each urge to start moving that hits him. He refuses still to look at the boy beneath him. If he so much as glimpses his darling lying before him in the throes of ecstasy, he knows he won't be able to fucking stop himself. It's an eternity that he spends, locked with Edd in this way, afraid to move and possibly hurt him again.

That is, until Edd's hand slides up his arm ever so slightly. The gentle touch startles him, making his eyes open. Edd's gazing at him, quivering and looking more sultry than he probably intends.

"T-Terry…" he moans.

 _Fuck._ Terry loses control of his body again for a brief moment, rocking into the boy. He can't hope to stifle the guttural moan that escapes him either, but just manages to stop himself from moving his hips too sharply after that. _Slow and steady, goddammit._ Wrapping Edd's legs around his hips, he begins as slow a pace as he can manage. He just barely remembers to use one hand to stroke Edd's cock again, drawing another deep moan from the boy. There's nothing he wants more than to embrace his Princess again and kiss him with all he has. But he's not sure he can. Not without losing focus on his pacing and the power of his thrusts.

 _Slowly. Gently. Slowly. Gently. Gently. Gently._

The hand on his arm moves again, higher still until Edd can reach no further. He's gazing at the man desperately and whimpering softly. _Fuck it._ Brow furrowed, Terry abandons his efforts to pleasure Edd so that he can steady himself as he leans down over him. Edd's arms slide around his shoulders as Terry leans in to kiss him, hoping that'll be an effective enough distraction from any pain he might experience.

And hoping he'll have enough sense to stop himself from moving too hard or fast.

Terry eventually finds a relaxing rhythm, rocking gently into his little darling. When he does break away from Edd's lips, he leans into the boy's ear, breathing encouraging and affectionate words to him. Edd can't hope to respond, the only thing he can muster being Terry's name amidst half-formed pleas that either have no start or no end. His eyes are shut tight, perhaps concentrating as hard as possible on relaxing. If he didn't already know it'd kill the mood, Terry might consider pointing out the paradoxical nature of such a feat, but, of course, he remains silent.

He wonders how long this bliss has lasted. How long they've been lost in unyielding sexual pleasure. He begins moving a little faster — a little harder than before. Edd doesn't seem to mind (or, at least, he doesn't protest), and only clings to him to brace himself. With Edd clinging to him so tightly, he uses the hand he'd been holding him still with to start stroking the boy's cock again. It rings a sharp gasp and moan from the boy, which, among the delightful moans, is goddamn music to Terry's ears. As he edges closer and closer to climax, his eyes slip shut and he desperately tries to focus on memorizing every inch of Edd's body against his own. Every dip. Every plush and tender surface. Every place where they fit together like the most flawless puzzle.

The finish line is within reach, but Terry's reluctant to cross it. Why can't this just last a goddamn eternity? Why can't he lose himself to this perfection and never find his way back ever again? Opening his eyes, he pushes himself upright, gazing down at Edd. And oh, what a treat that is to see. Edd gazes back at him, his eyes half-lidded from exhaustion. His pretty face red, with sweat matting his hair to his forehead and neck. His little chest heaving with his panting breath and his hands grasping at the sheets now that they've lost purchase of Terry's shoulders.

 _Fucking beautiful._

Though he's sure the image alone could get him off, he tries desperately to hold on, focusing instead on urging Edd towards his own orgasm first. With one hand on Edd's hip, petting and squeezing, he uses the other to stroke his neglected little cock. The long, lilting moan he receives in response is fucking perfection. The little back arches, giving him a delicious new angle to thrust from if only for a moment and doubling their pleasure. He gives a more firm stroke as reward for that.

Closer… _Almost_ …That tight heat gets tighter, constricting around his cock like a python. His breathing is fast and impossible to manage and he's feeling the exhaustion in his own limbs, so he's grateful for Edd's fast-approaching release. How fucking good it'll feel, he knows, to lie beside his darling, basking in the afterglow of this perfect night. How heavenly he'll sleep with his Princess nestled so sweetly in his arms.

Edd's hands creep up to grasp weakly at his wrists, mumbling desperately under his breath. Terry grins wickedly, as he catches a few of those mumbled words. Fuck does his name sound so sweet tumbling from Edd's lips like that. Eyes screwed shut, he finally wrings out an orgasm from the boy, drawing from him a pitiful and desperate whine as he tries to buck his hips into Terry's stroking hand. Though, Terry's not sure how else he responds, blinded by his own orgasm. The hand he's holding the tender hips down with squeezes perhaps a bit too tight as he pulls the child flush against him, moaning deeply as he finally experiences his own blessed release.

When he finally comes to, having blacked out briefly in his ecstasy, he gazes down at Edd lying beneath him, breathless and limp. As he pauses to calm himself, he takes a moment to examine the ejaculate on his hand. He's doesn't recall when Edd might've finally developed to this point. The last time they fucked, he hadn't been focusing on that — too lost in his own enjoyment and relaxation. Oh well…Grabbing the last few sheets from the dwindled toilet roll on the bedside table, he cleans away the minimal mess. He's tempted to remain connected to him, cock sheathed fully. It'd be damn sweet to drift to sleep like this, after all.

But, then again, he acknowledges that Edd might be more happy _without_ that penetration all night, and making him happy and content is definitely in his best interest right now. So, gritting his teeth, he carefully pulls out. Edd whimpers a bit in discomfort at the action, but otherwise, falls back into relaxation. With a satisfied grin, Terry settles in beside him. He pulls Edd's boneless body against himself, releasing a long sigh near his ear. Still lost in the afterglow, he relishes in the softness of Edd's skin. How supple it is. How it melds so perfectly with his own in their exhaustion.

Burrowing his nose into Edd's neck, he wraps his arms tightly around the tiny waist and holds him as close as he fucking can, murmuring sweet nothings to him that he'd never dare utter to _anyone_ else. All of the flowery words he can think of to describe his darling. All of his longing. All of his deepest, depraved love for his child bride. Edd shakes his head a little, but says nothing in return; merely absorbing all of the tender words. Taking Edd's hand in his own, he pecks along his knuckles, nuzzling his fingers between kisses.

"How do you feel, Princess?" he breathes, petting the back of his neck.

Edd shrugs back; "Still hurt…" _Dammit_. "But…" _Oh?_ "Not…as much as it used to…"

Chuckling softly, Terry kisses his temple; "I told ya I'd be gentle, sweetheart."

Humming in response, Edd tries to sit up a little.

"May I…" he clears his dry throat, "M-May I please…have a bath?"

 _Probably should've seen that coming_ …

"Course ya can," Terry shrugs back, sitting up as well and standing from the bed.

He doesn't give Edd a chance to rise to his feet, instead picking him up to carry him. Edd doesn't protest, laying his head on the broad shoulder. Moreover, he doesn't protest when, in the bathroom, Terry suggests bathing together. It gets him a shy look, but that's about it as Edd gives a reluctant nod.

Their bath consists mostly of reclining in the hot-but-not-too-hot water. Edd begins by washing himself, of course, but they primarily lie back to relax. Terry doesn't want to linger here long. Edd's barely able to keep his eyes open and, when he deems himself clean enough, resorts to resting his head on Terry's shoulder and curling up in his lap. Hell, he half-expects the boy to fall asleep in the water with him. But no, Edd mumbles to him more questions. Sweet little queries that exist solely to pass time rather than get real answers.

"Do you have to work tomorrow?"

"No."

"What shall we do, then?"

"Dunno."

"More of… _that_?"

' _That_ ' meaning sex? "Maybe. If you'll let me."

"…Does…that really make you happy?"

"Of course it does."

"Why?"

Terry busies himself with stroking Edd's thigh as he presses his cheek against the boy's forehead.

"I told you. It's cuz it lets me feel closest to you."

Edd's silent for a bit after that, hardly moving. His breath falls hot on Terry's neck, slow and unbroken. He wonders if Edd finally passed out after all — that their short discussion had taken the last of his energy before exhaustion took him — until he begins mumbling again.

"I don't…like it…"

He braces himself after saying that, as though he expects to be punished for such an opinion. A fair response; Terry briefly feels like hitting something when he hears that, but his own tired body won't allow it.

"It's not _that_ bad, Princess," he promises, "It gets better the more you do it."

That delightful warmth that had nestled so sweetly against him moves away, leaving a rush of coldness against his wet skin as Edd sits up straight to look up at him.

"Will you force me do it again?" he asks, dejected.

 _Damn_ …Terry sighs, cupping his cheek. He takes a moment to stroke the softness there, making Edd shut his eyes to enjoy the gentle stimulation. He thinks carefully about his response. The quick answer is 'no', but he doesn't want that to mean that sex is completely off the table. He still needs to make sure that Edd knows he at least expects it _some_ of the time. But he also needs to make sure Edd knows he won't go back to that awful routine of torturing him with it. Of leaving him hurting and alone. Finally, he shakes his head.

"No," he replies, "I won't force you. But I hope you'll at least indulge me once in a while. I got needs, sweetheart. And they all involve you."

Opening his eyes again, Edd gazes back at him. It feels like forever before he offers a slow nod, touching the back of Terry's hand.

There's not much to discuss after that. Deciding he's had enough of the bath, Edd reaches for the towel and rises to his feet, quickly and carefully covering himself as he steps out of the water. Terry finds it funny that he'd still show so much modesty after everything they've done together. As he follows suit, letting the water drain from the tub and grabbing his own towel to dry off, he wonders if it's a habit he'll ever be able to break him of. However, he effortlessly decides it's fine if he doesn't — that as long as Edd shows him the affection he wants in bed, then it doesn't really matter.

Then, it's back to the bedroom, towels still wrapped around themselves to protect against the chilled night air. As Terry shuts the door behind them, Edd spots the t-shirt he'd been wearing and snatches it up to pull it on. Terry assumes the disappointment shows on his face when Edd turns back to him.

"I-It's…cold…" he mumbles weakly, "I-I was just—"

"Nothing else," Terry relents, "I'll keep you warm tonight."

The promise makes the boy blush shyly as he nods, allowing Terry to usher him to the bed. Terry wonders how much of this is actually real. Edd huddles up close to his side, arm draping over the man's chest, head resting comfortably on his shoulder, legs curling inward and interlocking with Terry's own. Nothing could be more perfect. His arms are around his darling in an instant, keeping him close and protecting him from the cold. After pulling the covers up, he places a quick kiss to Edd's forehead and turns out the lights, settling in for one amazing night's sleep.

"Goodnight, my Princess," he breathes, his thumb stroking the back of the boy's neck.

A pause as he begins to drift. He almost misses it.

"Goodnight…Terry," Edd replies under his breath, just before he loses the last bit of consciousness he's been so desperately clinging to.


	42. Ch 41 - Over the Edd

The next morning finds Terry feeling so wonderfully rested. His body is relaxed and fuck if he has any intention of moving from this spot. Edd's still beside him, turned away from a bit of tossing and turning the night before, no doubt. Pleased, Terry pulls him in close, spooning him and nuzzling his nose into the slender neck. Yeah, he could stay like this all damn day.

Were it not for the hunger that stirs them both, of course, making them squirm and urging them to drag themselves out of bed.

They share their breakfast over the sleepy silence of their peaceful morning. No more questions from Edd or forced conversations. Just comfortable quiet that promises more tenderness once their plates are cleared. As Edd retreats to the bathroom to brush his teeth, Terry snatches up the discarded collar, briefly mourning its loss from Edd's neck. _It looked so pretty on him…_ With a sigh, he stores the collar in the junk drawer in the kitchen. Best place to leave it if he can't use it, he assumes.

This is how they spend the rest of their day. Pleasant and comfortable and quiet. Terry listens to Edd read for him — there's admittedly not much _for_ them to read from, but he manages to dig up a hardly-used Bible from under the coffee table (another of his mother's little 'gifts', he's sure) for them to peruse. It certainly entertains Edd, he notices, but not, perhaps, for the ways that devout believers would be comfortable with. Edd comments occasionally about the various contradictions and even laughs at some of the more outlandish parables (the story of Noah and his impossible arc in particular get him raving about how little sense any of it made). They also fill their time with television; their limbs entangled as they recline on the couch, watching reruns of cheesy sitcoms, violent cartoons, and even an old mob-style movie that happens to be on.

Between commercials and breaks in their readings, he coerces a bit of sexual affection from his little darling as well. Kisses that quickly evolve into a feverish battling of tongues as they mold their bodies together. Retreating to the bedroom for the intimacy that follows. No penetration — Edd starts whimpering and whining and begging him to show _some_ mercy — but Terry certainly manages to get them both off. Burying his face in the back of Edd's neck and tracing the boy's thigh, following the curve of his backside as he uses his other hand to rub up the little chest from where it had previously been stroking the boy's cock. The heavy panting as Edd tries to calm his breathing and as his body recovers from his orgasm draws a devious smirk from the man.

 _Startin' the year off right._

When night falls, they cuddle close to stave off the encroaching cold, exchanging kisses like secrets. Not once has Edd mentioned those wretched parents of his. Not once has he broken down to weep. The sex still makes him shrink back into his timid little shell, but it's easy enough to coax him back out with careful touches and loving words. Then it's back into the peaceful realm of their dreams, forwarded by the soft-spoken declarations of love and desire.

No fighting. No intensity. No expectations. Before bringing Edd into his life, Terry might've thought a day like that boring and tedious, but no longer. No, a day like that is to be cherished like the most priceless treasure. Same with the nights that bookended it. His own little slice of heaven — what he wouldn't give to live in an eternal loop within this one day. It makes him regret knowing he'll have to return to work come morning; particularly when Edd nuzzles him with his cheek, lost in the dreams that have taken hold of him. As such, though Edd falls asleep, lulled by his tender kisses and whispered affections, Terry forces himself to stay awake as long as possible — desperate to cling to this perfect evening as long as he can.

So comfortable is he, however, that he's out in minutes.

The next day sees the first break in this new routine he wants to establish. Waking up and sharing a shower with a fair sprinkling of more kissing and nuzzling. A breakfast unburdened by conversation, but one for which Edd volunteers idle talk. Then, reluctantly sequestering Edd back in the bedroom, while promising to return as quickly as possible and apologizing for having to lock him away. He attempts to compensate with a cache of kisses to Edd's cheeks and lips, but it doesn't alleviate the forlorn look the boy gives him as he closes and locks the bedroom door behind him. Fuck, he'd _love_ to let him out. Edd's been so good for him! He deserves a reward for that! But, really, he knows he just can't risk it. Not now. Not until he's sure.

Not until he's one hundred percent confident that his Princess will obey him without hesitation.

He endures his workday and the 'good-natured' ribbing he receives for 'staying home alone on New Year's'. The tall tales of who picked who up in a bar and how many times they fucked before even reaching the apartment. Who made the _legendary_ shot at the pool table — or maybe the dart board? The story varied as the day went on — that secured their victory and sent the bar into an uproarious cheer. How many drinks any one of them managed to get down before their system denied it and demanded a purge. How they didn't even notice the year changing as they surrounded themselves in their own debauchery. All the things Terry missed out on because he was 'too much of a pussy to come out and party with them'.

Boy, how he wanted to snap back with how much better _his_ night was in comparison. How _he'd_ gone to bed with the sexiest little thing they've never seen. That _he'd_ managed to avoid drinking to fully _enjoy_ that aforementioned sexiness. How _he'd_ gladly missed out on the obnoxious crowds and reeking bars in favor of getting in some _genuinely_ good sex with the person he wants more than _anything_ in the world. And how his avoiding the booze had resulted in him waking the next morning _without_ the record-breaking hangover so he could enjoy _more_ of his little beloved.

But, of course, he says nothing. Just takes the annoying jokes and dismisses them. Ignoring the jibes and focusing on finishing the little maintenance work he needs to so he can just get the fuck home. His breaks consist of coming home, giving Edd a bathroom break and something to eat, and then burying his irritation with his coworkers in some affectionate kisses and coaxing a bit of sexual touches out of him. When time's up, he reluctantly returns to the park, lingering as long as he believes possible before Mike would assuredly send someone to bring him back to work.

Dismissing the invitations to go out for drinks to make up for missing out on New Year's, he returns home at the end of the day, eager to hop back into bed and possibly get some sex in. He finds Edd snuggled amidst the sheets, dutifully reading from one of his textbooks. It's cast aside as Terry walks in and Edd sits up. Of course, the first item on the agenda is to make a quick run to the bathroom. He lets Edd out alone, hanging back by the bedroom as he kicks off his shoes. When he comes back, they open the discussion about what to do for dinner. With Terry too drained from work to cook or even prepare anything, they settle on Chinese. It takes a little bit of searching to find the take-out menu he has stashed in the junk drawer, but soon enough, he's arguing with a grumpy old Chinese cunt on the phone to place his order. Nothing too much; a large and small Wonton, fried rice, sliced beef and veggies and chicken lo-mein.

While they wait for the delivery, Terry cradles Edd in his lap, nuzzling him and indulging in affectionate kisses to Edd's neck and shoulders. Whispering filthy promises for after they've eaten. Delighting in the uncomfortable squirming and whimpering as he drags his hands over the boy's hips and thighs. Mutterings from his little darling about how inappropriate those touches are out here. Terry had considered that when he sat them down on the couch. It's risky to sit out here when their food is fast approaching. Frankly, he can't think of a way to justify such a choice. He supposes he just wants to give Edd a break from the bedroom.

The sudden knock on the door earns a relieved sigh from Edd as Terry must put aside his desire for the moment. Before letting Edd off his lap, he leans into his ear.

"You gonna sit here and be good?" he hisses, threat dripping from his words.

His grip must get tighter than he thinks as Edd whimpers a little, offering a timid nod.

"Y-Yes…" he replies, "I-I won't move."

"Good."

With a quick peck to his cheek, Terry removes the boy from his lap and stands straight. Taking a moment to adjust his robe and ignoring the impatient knocks that follow, he takes his time approaching the door and opening it up. A hella impatient motherfucker who sounds like he just hopped off the boat _today_ stands there snapping at him in some mix of Chinese and maybe English(?) as he waves a scrawny finger at him. Something about having other deliveries and how goddamn late it is. Whatever. He's clearly in a shitty mood and Terry's not interested in dealing with him. The guy shoves the food at him, but never releases it as he demands his payment. Rolling his eyes, Terry forks over the money and is allowed to take the plastic bag of takeout boxes. He glares after the lanky piece of shit as he storms back to his shitty little sedan to drive away. _Rough night at the Chinese place, I guess._ Shaking his head, Terry shuts the door and locks up before retreating to the kitchen to look through the bag.

Everything's present and accounted for, he notes as he checks each box and styrofoam cup. They even remembered the chopsticks and extra soy sauce this time. Not to mention the little packaged fortune cookies. _How fuckin' thoughtful._ When he's satisfied, he grabs a couple of spoons and forks — just because they added the chopsticks this time doesn't mean he's gonna fuckin' _use_ them — and brings the food over to where Edd's waiting patiently on the couch. Such a sweet little contrast to the bullshit he just dealt with. With a grin, he lays out the food on the coffee table and takes a seat beside the boy.

They enjoy their meal in silence, too hungry to chat at first. Edd shows unsurprising dexterity with the chopsticks, managing to pick up the rice and noodles with ease. He offers to help Terry use his own, and soon enough, those pretty little hands are delicately moving Terry's fingers over the chopsticks, showing him how to hold them and utilize them. Of course, Terry hardly pays attention to this mini lesson, too distracted by the softness of Edd's fingers and the way he tucks into his side to assist in the demonstration. Nevertheless, when Edd sits back to eat, Terry's able to awkwardly use the chopsticks.

They don't polish off anything from any of the boxes, filling up on a little of everything. Oh well, Chinese keeps well enough. After storing the leftovers, they pick their fortune cookies. Edd pauses to read the slip of paper, his brow furrowing and then relaxing in some kind of resignation as he crumples up the little paper into a ball.

"Bad fortune?" Terry scoffs, breaking his own cookie open.

Edd shrugs; "Just generic nonsense…" He glances at Terry as he picks at the broken shell. "I imagine yours is no better."

Terry doesn't answer at first as his eyes drift over the tiny slip. _Arrogance leads to destruction._ Indeed, the fortune is generic, but he admits that it gives him a small swell of anxiety. Is it a sign? Is he being too lenient on Edd like before? Is his trust about to be shaken yet again because he's letting himself soften?

" _What does it say?_ "

He turns to Edd, who's leaning on his shoulder and trying to peek at the paper. With a smirk, Terry follows Edd's example, crumpling the slip up. How could he even entertain such a stupid idea when his little Princess is behaving so well? When Edd's giving him the opportunity to show his affections and responding with a mere fraction of the resistance he started out with?

"Nothin', really," he shrugs back, tossing the 'fortune' away before grabbing the remote control, "Just a buncha nonsense, like you said."

Edd doesn't look convinced by that response, or is at least still curious, but he drops the matter as Terry flips through the channels before stopping on a familiar trivia show. Edd settles back in beside him with a soft sigh, tucking his legs under himself. The rousing round of Jeopardy keeps his attention as Edd rattles off most of the answers (questions?) that are presented. Getting frustrated when the contestant on the screen stumbles or doesn't answer at all after buzzing in. Edd himself stumbles on questions regarding pop culture and sports, but doesn't hesitate to answer all of the others. By Final Jeopardy, though, he's almost wholly lost interest, but is more than capable of muttering his answer-in-the-form-of-a-question. As the familiar tune plays them out, he leans back against the couch, toying with a loose thread beside him.

A sitcom sidles into place, with its overly quirky opening theme and stereotypical characters parading about on screen. The moody one. The overly happy one. The slut who's hella proud to be a slut. All the fan favorites. Edd's interest falls ever farther and his fidgeting gets worse, leg bouncing as he tries to tap his foot. He hasn't asked any more of his impatient questions, and he doesn't seem too keen on opening up any other form of discussion. _Well…if he wants to pass the time…_

Terry rests his hand on Edd's bouncing thigh, ceasing the movement suddenly. Wide-eyed, Edd looks at him as though he'd just materialized before him without warning. In response, Terry arches his brow, offering a silent question or other judgement. Deflating, Edd bows his head.

"My apologies…" he mumbles.

He can feel the boy tense as he begins stroking the tender flesh with his thumb. Little fingers curling into fists, Edd swallows thickly.

"Please…" he whimpers, "C-Can't we just…enjoy the quiet night?"

"I didn't see you enjoyin' much of anything," Terry points out with a squeeze, "So I'm thinkin' we pick up where we left off."

Edd doesn't respond to that at first. His eyes flicker all around before he hunches his shoulders. Gripping the hem of the oversized shirt in his hands, he pulls it down further over his crotch.

"N…Not…here…" he murmurs, his cheeks turning pink, "I-I don't…like being out here…when you do those… _things_ …"

Of course, Terry doesn't hesitate to acquiesce to such a condition. Turning off the tv, he scoops Edd up into his arms to carry him back to the bedroom. Possessive kisses, and touches that drift back down towards his thighs and backside. Clothes abandoned in favor of the friction between their skin that follows. Words hissed into Edd's ears as lust drives Terry's movements and focuses his thoughts on expressing that lust through the intensely possessive terms he's familiar with. How bad he wants him. How Edd belongs to him. How he'll never let anyone take him. Distilling down into incoherent babbling as he struggles to slow his thrusting hips.

Only after they're lying amidst the sheets, their stolen breaths creeping back in desperate panting, does he notice the way Edd's breathing is shakier than usual. How the little body slowly curls in and away from him. How he hugs himself and buries his face in his knees. Sitting up, Terry regards him with a grimace.

"What's wrong?" he grumbles.

Shaking his head, Edd doesn't answer, his toes curling as well. Not that he needs to say anything, of course. Terry knows without asking what's going through that pretty little head. The familiar negative thoughts that persistently worm their way into his mind concerning the way that Terry sees him. With a sigh, Terry pulls the quivering form towards him again and settles back in to spoon him.

"My Princess…" he breathes, peppering kisses along the back of Edd's neck, "My darling…"

Edd doesn't answer, his shoulders hunching as he arches his back further against the broad chest. With a few uneasy sniffles, the little body turns towards him and Edd buries his face in the man's shoulder, his breath shaking and hot against Terry's collar bone.

It's not long after that before he finally drifts to sleep, cradled in Terry's arms.

* * *

And so their days pass in tender bliss. On his days off, Terry spends as much time with Edd as he can when he's not running errands like picking up groceries or paying bills. He borrows a few books at Edd's request from the library, which drastically improve his mood in the weeks to come. Sex is still a sensitive subject, of course, but Terry likes to think he's getting Edd to come around. He seems to respond most effectively to tender cuddling and kisses. Embraces and gentle touches that don't stray too far down his waist.

Waking up together, showering, eating, all leading up to whatever affection they decide to share. On the days he works, he starts to notice a subtle change in Edd's demeanor. More forlorn when he leaves and — yes! — happy when he returns. Allowing Terry more and more to indulge in his desires on his breaks and at the end of the day. It feels downright domestic, coming home to his darling little wife. Finally worth all the struggle and irritation.

By the end of week two, the Valentine's ads begin, boasting must-buy gifts for that special someone and all that shit. Terry tends to scoff at the commercials, but he notices Edd perk up a bit when they come on. Perhaps he should've seen it coming, but he comes to realize that Edd's enamored by the idea of romance. Cooing and 'awing' at the sweets and saccharine ads that play between their shows. Clearly, Valentine's Day will be special for _him_. And sure, Terry assumes through these reactions that that will be the best time to give Edd the ring. But that doesn't feel like enough.

Maybe he could do more? Maybe he _should_ do more?

Sweetness is clearly winning his little darling over, so perhaps taking advantage of this 'most romantic fucking holiday' will clinch his hold on the kid? Perhaps an extension of the holiday will be beneficial to him? The ring is already a loving gesture, but perhaps more gifts than that? More days spent treating Edd like the Princess he is. Stretching the time from a single day to, say, two weeks. Yeah. Every day of February leading up to Valentine's Day — giving the boy some sort of gift or experience that will make him understand the affections Terry has for him.

And he knows just where to start.

So begins the planning to implement a regiment of music lessons. He told Edd he would teach him to play the harp, after all. So be it. That's first on the agenda. Shit. That also means he's gotta head home again. Goddammit. He makes the call while Edd's in the shower, grumbling past his brother's nagging and his father's bitching to tell them he needs to stop by to pick up his harp. His father, to his surprise, agrees to this without hesitation. When he points this out, though, he's not at all shocked to hear it's to get that 'sissy piece of shit out of this house'. What the fuck ever. After setting a day — the following Saturday, when both parents can be home to keep an eye on Eddy as well as Terry — he sets the phone aside and goes back to his planning.

Thirteen days left. Roses will be an obvious gift, as will chocolates. Maybe something for the bathroom? Some soaps and such to pamper the little germaphobe. A spa-type day in general would be hella romantic. Maybe some kinda massage? He scribbles down some of these ideas, putting them in no particular order. Aside from the ring, he has the perfect culmination for all of these little gifts. It's risky, but if the thirteen day build-up is as effective as he thinks it will be — making Edd happy enough to cling to him — then maybe it'll work?

As the bathroom door opens, he stores the list in his junk drawer to turn his attention back to Edd. His little darling is still drying off his damp hair, his face reflecting the relaxation from his bath. He's gotten more comfortable wearing Terry's shirts like little nightgowns, but he still insists on wearing the boxers underneath. As he stands near the hall, he gives the man an uncertain look.

"You don't have to work today, do you?" he asks sorrowfully, his brow furrowed.

Terry shoots him a grin; "Why? You afraid you'll miss me too much?"

That pretty pink blush lights across Edd's cheeks and he fidgets with the towel in his hands, refusing to make eye contact any further.

"N-Not at all," he mumbles indignantly, "I just…don't particularly enjoy being locked in a room for hours at a time."

"Mm…" Terry hums, "In that case I got some bad news for you."

Edd jumps a bit, his attention darting back to Terry's face. The despair that flickers in his eyes draws a sigh from the man.

"I just got call…" he lies, "And I gotta go out of town for work on Saturday."

"Out of town?" Edd guffaws, "For _what?_ All you do is push a _button_ on control panels, right?"

"Sometimes," Terry shrugs, ignoring the egregious simplification, "But my boss needs me to go pick up a part. He's too damn lazy to do it himself and I couldn't exactly give him a good excuse for why _I_ couldn't do it. So I'm stuck with it."

Those angry little shoulders slump down at that and Edd gives him a pout.

"How long will you be gone?" he asks feebly.

Terry strokes his goatee, trying to do the mental math in his head. It's two hours both ways and he anticipates at least an hour dealing with his family and securing the harp. So…

"Maybe five hours?" he guesses.

"Five hours?!" Edd gawks, "What am _I_ supposed to do?!"

Terry shrugs; "You gotta stay in the bathroom, but…anything, I guess?"

Edd twists the towel in his hands.

"Perhaps I could…come with you instead?" he asks softly.

"You know that's not an option," Terry retorts.

"Then can't you please just let me come out here and watch television?"

"No," Terry replies, his tone firm, "I'll get you some more books from the library or somethin', but that's the best I can do, Princess. I'm sorry."

Edd glares at him, crossing his arms over his chest.

"This isn't fair…"

"I don't care," Terry sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "I don't really have a choice here. I promise, I'll be back as soon as possible."

Still, Edd looks irritable by this, pouting and looking away from him. With a soft groan, Terry approaches him and tilts his chin up so that Edd's actually looking towards him.

"I'll bring you a treat?" he offers, giving him a sly grin, "On my way home, I can pick up somethin' special for you."

Edd gazes back at him, searching his face. Heaving a sigh, he brushes Terry's hand away and turns back to the hallway.

"Whatever…" he mumbles, walking away.

Without another word, he retreats back to the bedroom. _Fuck, this is gonna be an ordeal…_


	43. Ch 42 - Bent Out of Edd

In the days leading up to Terry's trip home, he does his best to load up on activities to keep Edd occupied. He stops by the library, of course, to return the books that the kid sped through and to then pick up any more he might find of interest. He'd intended to ask Edd if he had any requests, but he can barely get the boy to answer him right now. Ever since informing him that he'd have to go out of town, Edd's completely shut him out. The cold shoulder at it's finest; he only ever addresses Terry to ask about food or to use the restroom. No amount of tender words or coaxing kisses will draw him out of his irritable mood.

And, naturally, that means no more sex. The second he begins the sexual touches or kisses to the boy's neck, Edd curls up with his back towards him; blocking him from the treasure he desires so deeply. Those pretty emeralds glaring back at him and daring him do make another move. Of course…he doesn't. Just stews in his own anger as he waits for Edd to fall asleep first. Watching him hug his arms and quiver from the cold. Never asking for more covers out of spite. Dismissing any efforts Terry makes to keep him warm while he's awake.

At least he can't protest to the man's embraces when he's unconscious.

If nothing else, Edd's voluntary isolation makes it much easier to plan out what else he intends to do for this Valentine's thing. The kid refuses to leave the room again outside of meals or to use bathroom, after all, and he refuses to entertain anything Terry says or does. So, why not take advantage of the solitude? Terry decides that the music lessons he intends to implement will take precedent over the other gifts, since they'll be spanning not just the fourteen days, but long after. He has to assume that his lesson books are still at the house in his room. They'll be useful for Edd to practice with while he's at work. Other than that, he decides to just wing it. Edd's a smart kid; he's sure it won't be that difficult to teach him.

He decides to do the roses early on — maybe day two or three. People usually wait till the last minute to purchase shit like this, so if he gets the flowers out of the way early, he'll be assured to get the best and most beautiful ones (at half the cost too, he bets, what with those vultures hiking the price the closer the big day gets.) He'll have to swing by some stores to get more gift ideas. He'd really like to find a nice outfit for Edd. Preferably, he admits, would be one that could suit a boy or a girl. As much as he'd love to just pick up some adorable little dresses for his darling Princess, he also wants to get him something that the kid would actually _wear_. Besides, they're supposed to be gifts that'll make Edd _happy_ , so something that doesn't look entirely like girl's clothes would be best. Other than that, though, he's running low on ideas.

He's almost grateful when Saturday finally rolls around. A break from the tension — at least here. He knows to expect much worse from his dickhead father, of course, but it might be nice to have some time to himself in the car; alone with his thoughts.

Leading Edd to the bathroom, he notices the boy looking more somber than angry or annoyed. As he sits on the edge of the tub, surrounded by his books and snacks amidst the blankets at his feet, he fidgets a bit, looking to have a question on his mind that he's reluctant to voice. Brow cocked, Terry tilts up his chin, urging the boy to look at him.

"I'll be home soon," he swears, stroking Edd's jaw with his thumb, "I promise."

Edd shows no sign of being comforted, instead gazing solemnly up at him, his brow furrowed and eyes glassy.

"You're…" he bites his lip, swallowing thickly, "You're really leaving me alone again…the same way _they_ did…"

 _Goddammit…_ Terry had been hoping beyond hope that Edd wouldn't bring those fuckers up. That he wouldn't compare this to their neglect. He sighs, kneeling down so he can meet his eye level.

"It's not for long," he insists, "And I can't avoid it."

"But…" a couple of tears slip down Edd's cheeks, "Why can't you just…let me out of this room? I-It's so claustrophobic to be locked up like this…"

"You _know_ why," Terry sighs, rubbing his eyes.

"But, haven't I…" Edd stutters over his words, "H-Haven't I…proven that I can be trusted?"

Terry shoots him a cold look; "What? By sneaking off to call your mommy while I was sleeping?"

Pouting, Edd deflates a bit; "But…I didn't _say_ anything to her. A-And I came back and—"

"The answer's no, Princess," Terry retorts, standing straight, "Not unless I can be here to keep an eye on you."

For a moment, Edd seems to be thinking about another argument he could pose, but he ultimately drops it, bowing his head. Taking a breath to calm himself, Terry cups his cheeks.

"Don't look so sad, sweetheart," he coos, "I won't have to go out like this again any time soon. And I promise, I'll make it up to you."

Shaking his head, Edd pushes his hands away and moves to sit on the floor, his back against the bathtub as he hugs his knees to his chest.

"So you keep saying…" he grumbles, refusing to look at him again.

"Hey," Terry grumbles, "Don't be so stingy. I'm gonna be gone for a while. I at least want a kiss before I go."

"Why?" Edd scoffs, "If this little outing is so important, then why should you waste any more of your time with _me_?"

The tone of Edd's voice makes the man's blood boil as he clenches his fists, but he knows better than to push it. Clearly, Edd's not going to indulge him, and forcing it might make the situation more volatile than it already is. He sighs, rising to his feet.

"Fine," he nearly growls.

Without another word, he takes his leave, locking the bathroom door behind him as he goes.

* * *

The drive home is about what he expects. Long and tedious and damn frustrating to deal with alone. Well, perhaps that frustration is more related to Edd's attitude? First he can't get the kid to say two words to him, and then, all of a sudden, Edd's blubbering and comparing him to those shithead parents of his? Jesus, if he'd just _fucking_ work with him, things wouldn't be this unnecessarily annoying.

No. He can't keep thinking like this. This plan is gonna work. Come February 1st, when he reveals the harp, Edd will be putty in his hands. So excited and happy to begin playing an instrument he claimed to adore. And that's just the beginning. By the end of all this, Edd'll surely appreciate his gestures and finally return the affections he's been withholding for so long. They can finally be happy.

Yeah. Just gotta stay focused on the goal. Go slow and steady. Perhaps he should start by giving him a little treat when he gets home. He'll be gone for so long. A nice, sweet treat — maybe Edd's favorite candy? — will show how he'll have been thinking about him the entire time. That he never _stops_ thinking about him. And he promised to make this up to him, after all. As such, he makes a mental note to stop by the old candy store on his way out of town.

* * *

Finally pulling into the driveway, he finds Eddy waiting with that big idiot. Said idiot is running around the yard, crying out for Eddy to 'tag him'. Eddy, of course, shows no interest in the two-player game and only perks up when the van pulls in to park.

"Bro!" he cries, jumping up and rushing the door, "You made it!"

Ed joins him soon after; "Hello, Eddy's brother!"

"Yeah yeah…" Terry grumbles, shutting the vehicle off, "Get outta my way. Both of you."

"Y-Yeah, sure!" Eddy chuckles anxiously, taking a couple steps back and pulling Ed by his jacket, "Hey! You gonna get to stay for dinner, too?"

"No," Terry retorts as he opens the door, stepping out of the van.

"What?" Eddy asks with a pout, "But don'tcha wanna hang out for a little while before gettin' back on the road?"

"Fuck that," Terry grumbles back, side-stepping him to head inside. _I gotta get back to my Princess._

Eddy follows him like a lost puppy; "Okay…well…y-you're at least staying for lunch, right?"

"Maybe…"

" _Terry_?" he hears his mother calling at him from the kitchen., " _Come sit down for—_ "

"In a minute, mom!" Terry snaps back, focusing instead on ascending the stairs to his room.

The sooner he can get this shit to his van, the sooner he can get this bullshit visit over with and the sooner he can head home. As he reaches the landing, he's surprised to find that the door has been cleared of its blockades. No more chains or boards nailed to the wood — how those were intended to keep the door shut, he's not sure, but that's not the point. The old man must've opened it up to get him out of here faster. _Fine by me._ Still, he opens the door slowly. He wouldn't put it past that fucker to reinstall the 'dropping safe' booby trap for this venture. Side-stepping the landing zone, he inspects the space where it'd be secured and instead finds it absent. Hmm…Come to think of it, it's pretty likely that Eddy might've wanted to sneak in here again before his arrival and dad's certainly not stupid enough to forget that. And there's no way he'd put the little golden child in harms way like _that._ Oh well. Makes this easier.

Finally, he turns to the harp nestled in the corner of the room. Past the stuffed camel and radiator and in front of the poster for Nana Mouskouri Live. Nana Mouskouri…right. He should look for those old albums while he's here too. Humming softly, he starts with his closet. The harp's ready to go and won't require any additional care to get it out of the room, so he might as well save it for last. _Let's see_ … _where did I_ …He begins searching through musty boxes that haven't seen the light of day in years. Old photos from his childhood, a few papers from school and other paperwork he'd stored away to be forgotten about during his temporary banishment. Finally, he comes across the records. The record player is buried a little deeper in the closet and dusty as hell. After cleaning it off with his sleeve, he takes a moment to plug in the turntable and test it with one of the records to make sure it still works. The dulcet, sublime vocals waft through the air, broken by the comforting clicks and pops of the vinyl.

" _Turn that hippie shit off!_ "

Terry glares over his shoulder at Tony, who's now standing across the hall with a beer in his hand.

"The fuck do _you_ want?" Terry scoffs, ignoring the demand to turn off his music, "You're not actually gonna offer to 'help', are you?"

"Fuck that," Tony sneers, "Just gonna make sure you don't fuck up my house moving that sissy piece of shit out."

 _Mind your fuckin' language, old man._ Rolling his eyes, Terry returns his attention to the turntable and shuts it off before carefully placing the record back into its sleeve. He gathers together a few of the collections to minimize his load and secures the power cord to the player. All that's left is to move everything down to the van. He'll probably want to bring the stool as well — _why not, right_? It'll require a few trips, but it shouldn't be too difficult. The real challenge will be maneuvering with the cumbersome shape and through the narrow halls and doorway.

Taking a breath, he leans down to get a grip on the base, using his other hand to steady the neck.

" _Don't forget to lift with yer legs, boy!_ " Tony commands with a snicker.

Gritting his teeth, Terry resists the urge to spitefully go against the old man's suggestion as he hoists the harp up. As he expected, it's heavy, but not so much that it's difficult to lift. It's just the shape that makes holding it up cumbersome.

" _Hey, Bro!_ " Eddy cries, popping up beside his dad, "Can I help?"

Before Terry can answer, Tony reaches down to hold Eddy back.

"You stay back," he orders, "You're brother can handle it his own damn self."

Terry scoffs. Translation: 'No helping. It's more fun to watch him struggle.' _Whatever_. As if he needs their help anyway.

"Just get outta the way, goddammit…" he grumbles, making his way to the door.

"Watch your language," Tony snaps back. _There it is._

Terry eases his way out of the bedroom, doing his best to tune out Tony's 'helpful' comments and critiques. _Don't you leave a dent in my wall. Watch where you're goin'. I ain't payin' for no hospital visit._ And so on. The stairs offer the biggest challenge. On top of his dad's bitching, Eddy's pestering to help, and Ed's shenanigans, he has to go as slow as physically possible in his descent. And did that fucker crank up the thermostat too?! He can feel the sweat on his brow from the exertion, but the air feels hotter as well. When he finally reaches the landing on the ground floor, he sets the harp down to wipe his forehead and take a breath. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots the old man's smug grin as he fiddles with the thermostat. _Motherfucker._

With a groan, Terry opens up the front door, using the nearby umbrella stand to keep it from shutting again. Then it's just a quick trip with the harp to the van where he opens up the back door. Laying the delicate instrument flat on the mattress, he grabs the bungee cords from the front seat to tie it down. He's relieved that he'd been able to borrow them from Mike — at least he didn't have to spend any more money on _that_. And god forbid he borrow some from his dad.

Once the harp is secure, he returns to the house. Janine is calling up to Tony, pleading with him to just come downstairs and leave Terry to gather his things. Naturally, Tony ignores her, waving her away in favor of talking more shit.

"Bout time you got that girly shit outta my house," he notes as Terry reenters his bedroom, "Thought about sellin' it, but yer mother never let me."

Terry considers replying to that when Eddy interjects.

"Why'd you wanna pick it up, anyway?"

Shrugging, Terry gathers up the turntable to take down first — like hell he's going to try and bring this stuff down at all once. Particularly the delicate record player and vinyls.

"Just felt like it."

After storing the turntable in the passenger seat, he makes short work of bringing down the stool to set in the floor on the passenger side. He raps the vinyls in bubble wrap and packs them in a box that he also tapes shut before setting them behind the turntable in the seat. Checking the time, he finds that he's only been here a little over half an hour. Great. Time to get the fuck home and back to Edd.

"Terry, honey, you're not leaving already, are you?" his mother asks as he closes the passenger door.

"Yeah, I need to get back…"

She pouts; "I've made sandwiches — wouldn't you like to sit down and eat before you go?"

"I wasn't really lookin' to stick around _that long_ , mom."

"You've still got to eat," Janine insists, gently grabbing his arm, "Let's go."

With a sigh, Terry allows her to lead him inside. He probably _should_ eat something, he admits, and it'd be a good idea to bring something home for Edd too. Sitting down, he takes one of the sandwiches and starts chowing down. Really, he doesn't want to waste any more time with this. And, clearly, his mom won't be satisfied until she's _seen_ him eat at least one sandwich. In the meantime, Eddy sits at the table with him, practically sitting on the actual table top until Tony chases him off of it to sit in a chair. Ed settles in beside him, joining Terry in downing the food.

"So, Bro!" Eddy begins excitedly, "Spring Break is comin' up soon!"

"I'm aware," Terry grumbles, "It's one of our busiest times of the year. Rowdy college fuckers invading the park. Gettin' drunk and fuckin' with the rides. Cops gettin' called every five minutes. Coeds flashing their tits and pissin' off the parents who were dumb enough to bring their kids." He pauses before offering a shrug. "Guess that part's not too bad, but it's still busy as fuck and they make a bigger mess than the little ankle biters that run around the rest of the time."

His mother clears her throat.

"Terry, honey," she begins gently, "I don't think that's really appropriate discussion."

"Pipsqueak brought it up…" Terry shrugs back before taking another bite.

"Yeah, but…coeds?" Eddy murmurs, wide-eyed. After a moment, he shakes his head. "I was talking about _my_ spring break. It's at the end of March."

"So?"

"So…" Eddy edges a little closer, as sly a look as he can manage creeping onto his face. "I was thinkin' maybe I could come visit for the week?"

"Fuck no."

"Wha?" Eddy stutters, "Come _on_ , Bro! Why not?"

"Cuz I ain't babysittin' you for a whole _fuckin'_ week," Terry retorts, "Besides, I don't think mom wants you hangin' around those college fuckers I mentioned."

" _C'mon!_ " Eddy begs, "Please!"

"No."

"You heard yer brother," Tony agrees, "You don't need to be goin' out there for a week."

"I don't know, dear…" Janine begins uneasily, "I…think it might be good for Eddy to get away for a bit…"

"What?" Terry glares her way, as she stands beside him, "Why the fuck? Did you just forget the coeds thing I _just_ finished talking about?"

She leans over to whisper into his ear: "To help him get over losing his little friend."

 _Dammit…_ Terry gives her an irritable look. Of course that's the excuse she's gonna go with.

"I said no," he grumbles, polishing off the last of the sandwich, "I gotta go. Can I get a few sandwiches for the road?"

With a sigh, Janine walks over to a drawer to grab a few sandwich bags. She's definitely not dropping the issue, but motherly instincts take precedent and she's not about to let her boy leave if he's still hungry. Eddy, meanwhile, continues to press him.

"C'mon, Bro!" he pleads, "It's just a week!"

"I don't _care._ "

"Would it really be _that_ bad?"

"Yep."

"Can I come?" Ed interjects.

"If Pipsqueak can't come," Terry begins, glaring at the kid, "why would I let _you?_ "

"Is that a yes?"

"No."

"Here you go, honey," Janine coos, handing him a brown paper bag.

He inspects it momentarily to be sure there's enough and rolls it up when he's satisfied.

"Thanks…" he murmurs, rising to his feet.

As he leaves, his mother, Eddy, and Ed follow him to the door.

"Terry, honey," his mother begins, exasperated, "Can you at least _think_ about letting Eddy visit? It wouldn't even have to be for the full week."

With a sigh and his hand on the doorknob, Terry glances back at her.

"Fine," he relents, "I'll fucking _consider_ it. Alright? I'll have to see how that month's playin' out first. Make sure I can manage it. Is that okay?"

That does seem to do the trick, drawing her to give him a bright smile and a hug.

"Thank you, sweetheart," she says, kissing his cheek, "We'll call you sometime in the next month and discuss it more. You have a safe trip home."

"Thanks…"

"Love you, sweetie."

With that, she lets him open the door. His exodus is thankfully impeded no further as he steps out and approaches the van. Before slipping into the driver's seat, however, he feels Eddy throwing his arms around his middle, squeezing tight.

"Maybe you could come back and stay _home_ for Spring Break instead?" Eddy offers, unwilling to let go until he gets an answer.

"Definitely fucking _not,_ " Terry retorts, pushing him away, "Look, Pipsqueak, I already said I'll think about it. Just let it the _fuck_ go."

Shoulders slumping, Eddy sighs; "Okay…"

"I wanna hug too!" Ed cries, jumping in to latch onto Terry's waist.

"Off!" Terry snaps back, putting his hand over Ed's face and shoving him down and away.

Sliding into the passenger's seat with a groan, Terry starts the van. When he glances out the window, he finds Eddy still pouting as Ed recovers, drawing him to groan again and roll the window down.

"Look, mom says she's gonna call sometime next month. Maybe we can figure somethin' out then. Now, will you stop mopin' around like a little bitch?"

The magic words, clearly, as Eddy perks up immediately.

"Okay!" he answers, grinning, "Deal!"

"Great. Now, back up, will ya? I'm gettin' the fuck outta here."

Without any more argument, Eddy takes a few steps back — urging Ed to do the same — to allow Terry to pull out of the driveway. As he creeps down Rethink, he spots the boys waving, drawing him to offer back a half-hearted wave in return.

Turning out of the cul-de-sac, he tries to relax again, glad that ordeal has passed. He prepares for the drive ahead, imagining the grateful look on his Princess's face at his return. They'll watch whatever he wants — eat whatever he wants. Not to mention the sweet smile he'll surely get when he gives him that jawbreaker. Jawbreaker…

…Shit!

With a groan, he cuts the wheel, making a U-turn on the mostly-empty road to make way to the candy store.

* * *

When he finally returns to Mondo A-Go-Go later that afternoon, driving past the handful of attendees and employees, he parks behind his trailer. He intends to leave the harp in the van to keep it away from Edd's prying eyes, so he'd rather not leave it outside the fence. He also moves the turntable and vinyls to the back as well to hide it from any passerby. Grabbing the bag of sandwiches and the dozen or so jawbreakers, he heads inside.

Goddamn family. He was indeed gone about the five hours he'd estimated. Probably could've been back sooner if they hadn't held him up. Setting the food on the table, he picks out one of the jawbreakers to present as a peace offering and makes his way to the bathroom.

When he walks in, he finds Edd to be scribbling in one of his activity books. It doesn't seem to be in relation to the actual activity, but rather something he's writing in the margins. He certainly notices Terry walk in, but he chooses not to say anything in response or acknowledge his presence past an irritable look he keeps focused on his book. With a sigh, Terry walks further into the room and sits down on the edge of the tub. He can see the book has something to do with codes — deciphering secret messages and such like that. It seemed to keep him stimulated enough, at least. Oh well. Not important right now.

"I brought you somethin'," he offers, holding the jawbreaker towards the boy. That seems to get his attention as Edd glances at the candy, his brow furrowed. "And there's a lot more where that came from. I got you a whole bag."

No immediate answer as Edd stares at the jawbreaker, a sense of longing in his eyes. Terry sees his little fingers twitching, wanting to take it.

"You still left me here alone…" the boy murmurs, "…again."

"I know…" Terry replies, keeping his voice soft, "And I'm sorry. It couldn't be helped."

Edd looks away from the candy, fidgeting uncomfortably. Watching him carefully, Terry eases himself down to sit beside him on the floor. Taking one of those delicate little hands into his own, he runs his thumb over the soft skin, drawing the boy to peek at him shyly. As gently as he can, he brings Edd's hand to his lips to kiss along the tiny knuckles.

"I promise I won't do it again, sweetheart," he breaths, bringing Edd's hand to his cheek for him to nuzzle, "I won't leave you like that ever again."

Swallowing thickly, Edd pulls his hand away, rubbing his knuckles. Discarding the book, he curls in on himself, as though trying to deny the tenderness. He glances at the man shyly as Terry holds the jawbreaker towards him again. He sits back up, his eyes locked on the sugary sphere he loves so much.

"C'mon, sweetheart," Terry coos, "Let me make it up to you."

Eyes flickering over the offering, Edd hesitates, his fingers curling and uncurling as he struggles to decide. After a moment he breathes a soft sigh and accepts the candy as it's placed into his hand. With a grin, Terry leans in to place a kiss to his cheek, which he's pleased to note the boy also doesn't reject. As Edd gazes down at the jawbreaker, Terry plays with a lock of the boy's hair, relishing in the softness.

"I missed you…" he offers, nuzzling his temple with his nose, "It killed me to leave you like that. But I wouldn't have done it if I didn't need to."

Shoulders slumped, Edd doesn't respond to that as he drags his thumb over the grainy texture of the candy in his hands.

"I brought back some lunch," Terry continues, adding in another quick peck to the boy's cheek, "Won't you come eat with me?"

Edd starts to respond, but jumps a little when he's interrupted by his growling stomach. Blushing, Edd hugs his middle to stifle the hungry grumblings. He nods, clearly ready to leave this room and get something to eat. Chuckling a bit, Terry rises to his feet before holding his hand out for Edd to take. Brow furrowed, Edd takes his hand and allows himself to be pulled up as well. Despite the overwhelming desire to scoop Edd up and carry him to the kitchen, Terry allows him to instead lead the way.

It's a slow start, but he hopes this implies a step in the right direction.


	44. Ch 43 - Kept Under Your Bro

January winds to an uneasy close. Edd's little cold shoulder has finally thawed, but he's still not quite willing to forgive Terry for leaving him alone for a day. He's more willing to come out of the bedroom again to spend his time watching t.v., but he won't begin any conversation. At the very least, he no longer refuses to acknowledge him altogether. He'll allow the casual embrace or peck on the cheek without protest and reluctantly lean in to the more intimate nuzzling with a soft whine.

That warmer reception recedes again when Terry has to go out, though. A resentment that waxes and wanes with the man's coming and going. It's partly a necessity, such as when he has to work or pick up groceries, but he also takes the opportunity to purchase some of the gifts he has in mind. A box of fancy-ass chocolates, a stack of textbooks in varying subjects — probably the most expensive fucking items on the list, goddammit — an assortment of special soaps and shampoos that his little germaphobe can indulge in. Things that Edd can indulge in or which he knows the boy will adore. He'd buy more, but most of his ideas center around actions rather than physical gifts. Music lessons, maybe a relaxing massage to the music of Nana Mouskouri, a romantic dinner, and so on.

Ugh…shit, that's right; the music lessons. He'd realized it the day after he returned from the cul-de-sac that he'd left his music books at home. Of course, he knows why; he'd been so goddamn preoccupied with getting his harp and records and getting the _fuck_ away from that house and back to Edd that he'd forgotten one of the key items he'd even gone home _for_. As such, it required a grumbling call home and a waste of change to avoid making the call where Edd could hear. For once, he'd been happy that Eddy picked up, even though it meant another agonizing discussion about Spring Break.

" _I got it all figured out!_ " the brat had raved, " _Me n' Ed — oh, he can come too, right? I don't…think I could leave him home alone for that long…_ "

"I didn't say—"

" _Anyway, we can come down Monday and stay through Friday, right?_ " he continued, ignoring any protests Terry had in mind, " _And Ed can bring his monster movies — he's got a ton of gore-fests he's seen, like, a thousand times. Pretty sure he could recite 'em backwards if I asked him to. They're pretty cheesy, but they don't skimp on the blood and guts and stuff and when they're bad, they're hilariously bad. We could have movie marathons! Doesn't that sound great?!_ "

"No, it doesn't," Terry grumbled back, "And that ain't why I called, goddammit."

" _But—_ "

"No, shut up," Terry snapped, "I need you to do somethin' for me, Pipsqueak. It's important."

" _Oh yeah?_ " That got the little fucker's attention. " _Whatcha need?_ "

"I forgot my music lesson books when I picked up my harp," Terry explained, "I need you to go to my room, find them and send them to me."

" _Okay. When do ya need 'em?_ "

"Fuckin' _yesterday_. When the hell d'ya think?"

" _Alright, alright!_ " Eddy mumbled, " _I'll take 'em to the post office after I find 'em._ "

"Send 'em express too. I want 'em ASAP."

" _Why d'ya need 'em so bad?_ "

"Cuz I need a refresher," Terry had shrugged back, "I haven't touched this thing in years, y'know."

" _Oh…yeah, I guess that's true…_ " Eddy sighed, " _Alright, I'll go find 'em, Bro. I promise. And I'll get 'em to ya right away!_ "

"Good. I gotta get back—"

" _Wait-wait! Before you go!_ "

"I already told you 'no' about the fuckin' Spring Break thing."

" _But, Bro!_ " Eddy whined.

"Look, I'm still figuring out if I can even manage that shit for a couple _days_ , let alone a whole fuckin' week. Just calm yer tits and I'll see what I can do, alright?"

Eddy groaned; " _Fine!_ "

That got him to shut up, at least, allowing Terry to end the call with a firm reminder to get the books to him as soon as he fuckin' _can_.

With that taken care of and most of the other gifts he planned to purchase checked off, the only thing left on his list that he's had any trouble finding is clothing — the perfect outfit that'll render Edd's gender mostly ambiguous. Most of the shit in the stores he peruses lean too far either way: being either too girlish or too boyish. So far, he's found no happy medium that will also look good on the boy. He still has a couple of weeks before he intends to give him _that_ as a gift, but he's starting to feel the crunch as February draws near.

The books, at least, arrive on January 30th, about a week after calling home. That's one less thing to worry about. While Edd showers, he takes the opportunity to wrap them and stow them away in the hall closet.

Now all that's left is to wait…

Well…that, and to come to one last conclusion. One last concession to abide by for the next couple of weeks. One that'll drive him crazy, but which he knows will reward him with the most promising results. A decision — perish the thought — to abstain from sexual intercourse to appease Edd's prudish sensibilities. Well, by which he means; there'll be no penetration. He has something in mind for the latter half of this venture that will involve sexual touches, but if Edd hates the penetrative stuff, then he'll at least avoid _that_ to make the holiday special for him. If that doesn't prove to the kid how important he is to Terry, then he doubts anything will. And in the event that it still it doesn't, then…well, he'll have to figure out what to do from there.

The best he can do now is to see how this plays out.

* * *

January 31st. Tomorrow's the big day. He decides, on this night, to see if he can't coerce his little darling into a bit of intimacy. After all, if he's going to put off his lust for half the month, he intends to at least get in one last hurrah. Besides that, if he can exhaust the kid enough, he might be able to bring the harp inside without disturbing him.

Slow and steady will be the best approach. He glances to the boy, finding Edd to be leaning against the pillows and reading — midway through 'A Wrinkle in Time'. It seems to be holding the kid's interest well enough and he'd been told it's an incredibly popular children's book when he was perusing the selection at the library, but Edd's surprisingly not interested in discussing it. Whether that's a lack of interest in discussing the book's plot or simply in engaging in _any_ discussion with Terry, he's not sure. Either way, he's just calmly and lazily drifting his eyes over the words on the page, saying nothing.

Brow cocked, Terry scoots a little closer to him. It earns him no reaction past Edd furrowing his brow to maintain his focus on the book. Good start. Holding his breath a bit, Terry leans in to place tender kisses to the boy's temple. He can feel Edd tense a little with that, but he tries not to give him his attention.

Sneaking his hand behind Edd's back, Terry gently grabs the boy's shoulder opposite him, both to hold him still and pull him just a bit closer. With his other hand, he begins stroking and drawing little circles into the shoulder against his chest. All while nuzzling near Edd's temple and sneaking kisses along his cheek. He can see Edd's grip on the book tightening, warping the pages some as he tenses considerably.

"Take your hands off of me," he dictates, his cheeks turning pink as he glares at the book.

"Why d'ya gotta be so mad at me, Princess?" Terry asks with a pout, leaning his forehead against Edd's temple, "I said I was sorry, didn't I?"

"I don't want to talk to you right now."

"Then we don't gotta talk," Terry purrs, trying to urge the boy to look at him, "Let your body do all the talkin'."

"Is my body language not clear enough?" Edd retorts, finally glancing at him out of the corner of his eyes.

"C'mon, sweetheart," Terry groans, "Quit bein' so damn stingy."

"Quit being so demanding."

Terry sighs; "C'mon, Princess…It's been a week. I said I won't leave you like that again and I promise to make it up to you. And I wanna start with a little tenderness. Don't that sound nice?"

"'Tenderness'?" Edd echoes, "Is that what you call that vile act you so love forcing upon me between your little outings?"

Terry groans, rolling his eyes; "I don't like you putting it like that, but yes."

"Of course." Edd bats his hand away; "You know I've no interest in such vulgar activities."

"You're still going to pretend I don't make you feel _damn_ good?"

"I'm not 'pretending' anything."

"Yeah right…"

"I do wish you'd stop pestering me about this."

Terry tries to make him lower the book; "I'll stop 'pestering' if you just say 'yes', sweetheart."

Edd raises his book again, trying to ignore him; "No."

"I'll be gentle," Terry presses, adding in a kiss to his cheek.

"I don't care."

"I'll go slow."

"I. Don't. Care."

"I'll make it feel good again."

Those delicate shoulders fall as Edd heaves a sigh as well.

"You're not going to leave me alone so I can read, are you?" he asks wearily.

"Nope."

With a groan, Edd snaps the book shut, curling in on himself a little.

"How I wish you'd take my feelings into account _just once…_ "

"I _do_ take your feelings into account," Terry replies, rubbing Edd's shoulder and nuzzling him, "You're all I think about, Princess."

"I doubt that…"

Terry grimaces. As if Edd has _any_ idea how much he's done for him. How much effort he's putting into the coming weeks.

"You can doubt it all you want, Princess…" he grumbles back as he gently takes the book from Edd's hands, "Doesn't make it any less true."

As he sets the book on the beside table, he catches the boy glancing at him, his brow furrowed.

"Then why do you insist on doing things to me that you know I dislike?"

"You won't 'dislike' it for long if you'd just give me a chance to make it feel _good_ ," Terry argues.

"Easy for _you_ to say…" Edd's gaze morphs into a glare, " _Your_ experience is vastly different."

"True…" Terry admits, "But it can be good for you too…if you'd just relax and _let yourself_ enjoy it."

Edd crosses his arms over his chest, his pout looking more disappointed than angry, "You always say that…"

"Because it's always _true_."

Naturally, Edd doesn't look convinced. He's still curled up and pouting, and he's turned away indignantly. With a sigh, he places his hands on Edd's shoulders again.

"C'mon, Princess," he coos, nuzzling his cheek, "I told you. I'll be gentle. And I've been damn patient while you moped around for the past week. Don't I deserve a lil somethin' for that?"

Sighing softly, Edd bows his head. Glancing to the man with a furrowed brow, he leans into the nuzzling that's moved back to his temple.

"Fine…" he mumbles, "I suppose you're not giving me much of a choice anyway…"

"Why d'ya gotta look at it that way?" Terry retorts, rolling his eyes.

"How else _should_ I look at it?"

With a smirk, Terry wraps his arms around Edd's middle, hugging him close; "Like I want to share a night of intimacy with the one person I care about."

Edd bows his head again, his little shoulders hunching. Seems he can't think of a proper response. Good. _That means I'm right._ Sighing softly, Terry leans in to trail kisses from Edd's cheek to his neck. He relishes the shiver that takes his little darling. Rubbing the delicate hips, he sets their passionate night into motion.

Clothes torturously discarded. A mashing of lips and teeth and breath borrowed and shared. Skin against perfect skin. Edd's heavy breathing and moaning in his ears is goddamn music as he sucks blossoming marks along the sweet flesh that quivers beneath his touch. His pace is agonizingly slow, but it's paying off. Edd's still whimpering and sobbing every now and then as a result of a particularly sharp thrust of Terry's hips, but he's not struggling or trying to stop it.

He commits every curve and dip to memory. Every place where their flesh meshes so perfectly. The way those slender little legs rest against his hips, too weak or unwilling to even attempt any kind of grip. The hands that cling to his shoulders and the nails that dig in. Most importantly, the look on the boy's face as he's overcome with pleasure. The way his lips part so he can suck in as much air as quickly as he can. The gorgeous blush that burns across his cheeks. Those beautiful eyes that refuse to grace Terry's face out of shame. As orgasm draws ever closer, Terry begins moving faster, his thrusts harder. Gripping the plush hips like a vice as he crosses that heavenly peak. Managing to coax Edd to climax as well.

Laying boneless together amidst the rumpled sheets, Terry peppers kisses along Edd's heaving shoulder, nuzzling him affectionately. Breathless, Edd shyly leans into the tender nosing, his eyes drifting closed wearily.

"Now, didn't that feel good, sweetheart?" Terry coos, tracing his finger along the boy's jaw.

Still panting, Edd offers him a feeble glare.

"I feel so filthy…" he mumbles before looking away with a grimace.

"What, you want a bath or somethin'?"

"Please," Edd retorts, "I desperately need to wash."

With a shrug, Terry carefully pulls his flaccid cock from the boy's sore hole, earning a whimper in response. He doesn't give Edd the option to stand on his own, instead scooping the little body up into his arms. Edd doesn't protest, though, as he's carried effortlessly to the bathroom. The hot water they surround themselves with eases their already relaxed forms. A sensual warmth that soaks down into their bones and harnesses them into place. So comfortable is the boy in Terry's arms that he's even able to draw out a few tender kisses.

His plan seems to have worked, at least. After scrubbing himself down, Edd settles back to relax again, practically falling asleep on Terry's shoulder despite the cooling water lapping at his skin. He'll surely be out the moment his pretty little head hits the pillow. As such, Terry keeps the bath short and helps him dry off before returning with him to the bedroom. He lets the boy crawl into his jersey pajama shirt before collapsing onto the mattress. The little cherub nuzzles the pillow, but doesn't even bother with the sheets as his eyes are practically glued shut already, barely blinking open for a brief moment as Terry leans over him to place a gentle kiss to his temple. Softly moaning one last half-protest, his body goes completely lax and sleep takes him.

For a few minutes, Terry just watches him, petting the hair that's still clinging to the water from their bath. When he's satisfied, he pulls the covers up over the boy so he doesn't get too cold, grinning as Edd shifts comfortably beneath them.

Ignoring the intense desire to crawl under the covers with him and cuddle that little bundle of sweetness nice and close, Terry turns to pull his clothes on. Locking the bedroom door behind him, he slips out into the hall and tiptoes out of the trailer. First, the harp, which he sets up beside the kitchen table. He sets the stool beside it, but he leaves his records and turntable in the van for now.

Save them for another day.

Then it's to the hall closet, where he retrieves the gift-wrapped books and a spare bedsheet, which he drapes carefully over the harp. Shit, if only he had a big-ass bow to put on it too. He leaves the wrapped gifts on the table and then returns to the bedroom with a languid stretch.

When he walks in, he finds Edd still sound asleep, the sheets rising and falling with his even breath. After securing the door, Terry slips out of his clothes on the way to the bed and crawls beneath the covers. Edd stirs a bit, glancing back at him with a furrowed brow.

"Back to sleep, Princess," Terry whispers, kissing his cheek as he pulls the little body against his own.

He doesn't have to give that order twice as Edd shrugs, laying his head back down and curling up a little more. Pleased, Terry settles in behind him, nuzzling him affectionately. As he closes his eyes, he imagines how the next day will play out.

Waking Edd up with a kiss and leading him out to the kitchen. Explaining his intentions for the next couple of weeks and wishing him a happy Valentine's Day One. Then, revealing the harp to him. He can see it now. The overjoyed look that will spread over that pretty face. The warmth of his little arms as they're thrown around him in a grateful embrace. The way he'll hold the music books to his chest, too overcome with happiness to know what else to do. The tender kiss he'll reward his doting lover with.

The very idea sends a shiver down his spine.

And it won't end there. Next comes the actual lessons. He just _knows_ his perfect student will be eager to start learning the second he lays his hands on the instrument. He'll sit Edd in his lap at first — all the better to show him how to hold his hands, after all. Holding those delicate little hands in place and modeling the proper way to strum his fingers over the strings. Oh, how those little fingers will take such abuse from the sudden overuse, though. He'll be so blistered and aching after at least a couple of sessions. Oh well. That just means he'll have to bandage him up (should he need to) and be even more tender with him before and after their lessons.

With those pleasant thoughts lingering in his mind, he lets himself drift blissfully to sleep, keeping his beloved cradled nice and close.


	45. Ch 44 - Strike an Edd Note

The next morning comes and goes, with neither Terry nor Edd able to rouse themselves until sometime after noon. With a yawn that reflects the momentary amnesia induced by the deep sleep that preceded it, Terry slowly comes to. The feeling of Edd's body nestled beside him provides a still deeper comfort, inviting him to settle back in to sleep. For a brief moment, he accepts that kind invitation, nuzzling his nose against the exposed flesh of Edd's neck with a content sigh.

The realization that he has something important to do comes suddenly. A reminder that arises with his returning consciousness, and urges him to squeeze his arms around the little body beside him to anchor himself more firmly to the waking world.

"Wake up, Princess," he purrs, placing a tender kiss to the boy's cheek.

Edd groans in response, the peaceful look on his face contorting in irritation.

"I'm not interested…" he grumbles, hunching his shoulders, "I'm still sore from your insatiable libido last night…"

"That ain't it, sweetheart," Terry scoffs back before adding huskily into his ear, "Though I wouldn't be opposed to a little tenderness if you're offerin'."

"Please go away."

"Aww…" Terry coos, "But I got somethin' for ya."

"I said I'm not interested in your loathsome lechery."

"And _I said_ , 'that ain't it'," Terry retorts, sitting up, "Now, get up. You'll like this."

Edd glares at him, pulling the sheets up tighter over himself; "Whatever it is, I highly doubt I'll like it at all. Will you _please_ just leave me be? You _are_ wont to do that, after all."

Terry can feel his patience dwindling. Dear god, can this kid just fucking work with him for _once?_ Taking a calming breath, he stands from the bed. He decides to try a new tactic. If Edd won't get up for his present, then maybe he'll get up for something else.

"Alright, I'll leave you alone," he states before pulling the sheets away from the boy again, "But you're gonna at least get up to eat first."

With a groan, Edd sits up, glaring at him through squinting eyes.

"Fine," he grumbles, throwing his legs over the side of the bed, "I won't get anymore rest anyway since you _insist_ on pestering me, so I might as well."

As Edd rises from the bed and makes his way to the door, Terry rolls his eyes, trying to remind himself that it'll be worth it once Edd sees the harp. This shitty little attitude will be alleviated and they'll go back to having a delightful afternoon filled with beautiful music and sweet nothings whispered over plucked strings.

Bearing that in mind, he throws on his robe and unlocks the door to escort the boy out into the hall. Of course, Edd makes a beeline for the bathroom. When he tries to shut the door behind him, Terry holds it open with a grimace.

"A little privacy, please," Edd insists.

"Nothin' I ain't seen before, _Princess_ ," Terry sneers back, "Now get a move on."

Huffing indignantly, Edd turns away and storms further into the bathroom. Terry, meanwhile, turns back towards the hall and leans against the doorframe, crossing his arms over his chest to give Edd some semblance of the privacy he was asking for. He pauses briefly for Edd to relieve himself, certain the boy would be too embarrassed to talk during the action.

"Y'know," he begins slowly as the trickling sound comes to a stop, "I meant it when I said I had somethin' for you. And it's somethin' you'll fuckin' _love_."

" _Oh really?_ " he hears Edd reply with a scoff.

"What about that is so goddamn hard for you to believe?"

The toilet flushes and he hears the faucet being turned on. Glancing back, he finds Edd scrubbing his hands.

"I wouldn't say it's hard to believe," Edd admits, "I just know what a hollow gesture it is."

"The fuck does _that_ mean?" Terry snaps back.

Edd rolls his eyes as he dries his hands.

"Do you honestly think I don't know what this 'gift' of yours really is?" he asks. When Terry doesn't answer right away, he continues, hugging his arms. "This is going to be just another vain attempt of yours to get some form of sexual gratification by demanding I compensate you for your 'generosity', right?"

Gritting his teeth, Terry fights to hold back the rage that threatens to broil forth at such a suggestion. At such a…fuck…regretfully accurate summation of his past endeavors. He tries to remain calm — to remind himself that he's about to prove Edd fucking _wrong_ and how great it'll be to watch him eat his words.

"No," he replies, "As a matter of fact, that's not what this is."

That's not nearly enough to convince Edd, however, as he glances back at Terry with a furrowed brow and an adorable little pout.

"Why should I believe that?" he murmurs, "It's all you ever do. If you give me a gift, it's just to get something _you_ want out of me. I've no reason to believe you'd do something for me out of the kindness of your supposed heart."

A fair point…goddammit. Terry sighs.

"Can you just come out here," he insists as gently as he can, "so I can give you your Valentine's present?"

The question makes Edd jump a little and release his hold on his arms just a bit.

"Valentine's…?" he echoes, "But…isn't that still a few weeks away?"

"Yes," Terry replies, "But I have a reason for that. If you'll just come out here and let me give it to you, I'll explain."

Shoulders drooping, Edd reluctantly approaches him, brushing his hair away from his face. Terry extends his hand towards him, which Edd takes with a blush to allow the man to lead him down the hall. He's not really returning the gentle grip, though; his fingers limp in Terry's hand. As they approach the instrument hidden by the cloth, he feels those fingers twitch and spots the boy gazing at the mystery item in unbridled curiosity. Before the reveal, however, Terry releases his hand and grabs the wrapped gifts.

"You can open these first," he instructs, handing him the presents so he can grab the sheet.

Edd's eyes flitter over the gifts in his hands before darting to Terry's face for a moment. Concerned, he starts meticulously tearing off the wrapping paper, managing to mitigate the resulting mess by keeping the paper mostly in one piece. He gazes at the revealed books uncertainly for a moment before raising his attention to Terry.

"What's—"

Before he can finish his question, Terry pulls the sheet off of the instrument, careful to avoid letting the fabric catch on any part of the golden body. Edd's eyes grow wide as he gazes at the harp, gleaming ever so slightly in the midday light. The lesson books slip from his fingers and fall to his feet. He offers no response, only staring at the instrument he'd pined over so deeply in wonder. Pleased, Terry leans his weight against the neck of the harp with a grin.

"Happy First of Valentine's, Princess," he announces, "You're gettin' your wish; I'm gonna teach you how to play."

Edd doesn't immediately respond to that, still lost in his awe.

"Didn't I tell ya you'd like it?" Terry continues smugly, polishing his nails on the lapels of his robe, "You can't deny that I know what my little Princess likes."

"W…Wait…" Edd murmurs finally, blinking as he turns to the man fully, "How did you get this? I thought you said you'd have to go home for that?"

 _Shit._ Terry deflates a little bit at that. This is gonna be rough.

"Yeah…" Terry mumbles, scratching the back of his neck, "About that…I may have…'stretched the truth' a little bit when I said I had to pick somethin' up for my boss that day…"

An indignant blush spreads over Edd's face as he glares up at him.

"Y-You _lied_ to me!" he accuses, "You left me alone for _hours_ and then _lied to me_ about it!"

"Keep yer voice _down_ , Princess," Terry warns through his teeth, his fingers clenching into a fist.

Edd backs down, his arms crossed impatiently. With a sigh, Terry, drums his fingers on the neck of the harp. Fucking bullshit. Why can't Edd just accept his gift and be _happy?_ Why does he have to go through this bullshit just to give the kid a goddamn present?

"Yes, I lied," he admits, "But I didn't have a choice."

Edd scoffs; "That's such lame excuse. What makes you think you didn't have a choice but to lie to me? Again?"

"Cuz yer too damn _smart_ for that," Terry snaps back, startling him, "We'd talked about me going home to pick up the harp not three weeks before I told you I was going out for a day. If I'd said I was going _home_ that day instead of going out for work or somethin', you woulda figured out why and it woulda ruined the surprise."

The indignant look that had overtaken Edd's face relaxes into a shy pout. He averts his gaze, fidgeting uncomfortably.

"You…still made it sound like it was vital that you go…" he mumbles, "Like you had no choice but to leave me here alone for that long."

"I told you I was sorry about that," Terry replies, rubbing his forehead, "I couldn't trust my old man to ship it to me — he woulda just thrown it out. So I had to go and get it myself. And, in my defense, I _do_ think it was important. You said you wanted to learn to play, so I'm makin' it happen, but I wanted it to be a surprise too."

After a quick glance at Edd's shameful look, he decides to play the sympathy card. If there's a possibility that Edd's already feeling bad for getting mad over this, then perhaps playing to a sympathetic angle will be more effective?

"You think I _wanted_ to go home that day?" he grumbles, "I had to deal with that shitty household _and_ be away from you for fuckin' _hours_. It was goddamn torture, but I kept telling myself it'd be worth it if it'd make you happy." He scoffs a bit. "Guess it was just a waste of goddamn time after all…"

It kills him to avoid looking at the boy after that petty little add-on. He wants to see what he imagines is a truly remorseful look. Maybe he even got a little teary-eyed as well? He considers taking a glance, but manages to find himself a nice little section of linoleum to keep his attention for the time being. Instead, he waits for Edd to speak next.

" _I…_ " he hears the boy mumble, finally permitting him to cast him as disinterested a look as he can manage.

Edd's fidgeting with the bottom of the jersey, stretching the material in his hands and keeping his head bowed. He's trying to look as contrite as he possibly can.

"I…s-suppose you _did_ put a lot of effort into this…" he relents, "And I know how much you hate interacting with your father…" He sighs a little, head tilting as his eyes drift here and there. "I just…I know how you _are_ …Y-You always expect compensation for something like this. Like I 'owe you' for your decision to put yourself through all that?"

"I told you, that's not what this is. I wanted to do something special for Valentine's Day."

Those pretty eyes finally fall on him; "But, why?"

"Cuz every time some commercial would come on talkin' about it, you'd get all doe-eyed and start cooin' about how 'romantic' it all was. I thought you'd _like_ this kinda thing."

"I…I do…" Edd admits, fidgeting some more as his gaze returns to the floor, "But, isn't it a little early for Valentine's Day?"

"Technically, yeah. Today's the first."

"So why do this now?"

"I feel like a goddamn broken record…" Terry mumbles, "It's because I wanted to do somethin' more special than just one gift on the fourteenth, and in this case, I decided to do not just one day, but two weeks."

"I don't understand…"

"What I mean is; I've got a present or something equally romantic for you for every day leading up to Valentine's day — when I'll be giving you one big gift to finish it out. And I wanted to start that all off with your music lessons."

"That seems like an awful lot of work…"

"Sure, but it's worth it if it makes you happy."

Hunching his shoulders with a shy blush, Edd allows that to sink in. _Time to go in for the kill._

"And as for expecting anything in return, I'm not," Terry continues, "For the next two weeks, I'm not gonna fuck you."

Edd's head snaps up, his eyes wide as he gawks at the man before him; "What?"

"You heard me," Terry sneers, "I'm givin' you a break from that. So I don't wanna hear that bullshit about expectin' anything in return."

After a moment to let the shock pass, Edd gives him a skeptical grimace.

"I…highly doubt you'll manage to hold out for that long," he murmurs, "You couldn't even handle a few _days_ the last time you agreed to those kind of terms."

"True," Terry admits, "But that was different. Shit was already tense as fuck and I didn't know how long you were gonna hold out on me."

"Oh, so it was _my_ fault?" Edd retorts, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I didn't say that," Terry sighs, "If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. Point is, I'm giving you what you want for the next two weeks and other shit you'll like on top of that. Is that so terrible?"

With a deflating sigh, Edd glances back at the harp. He reaches out, plucking one of the strings to test the tone and cringing against the out of tune twang. Terry winces, cursing under his breath.

"Forgot to tune it," he murmurs, holding his head in his hand.

How could he forget something as obvious as tuning an instrument he hasn't touched in over a decade?! He knows for a fact he left his tuning key at home, too, so actually tuning the harp is gonna be a real bitch if he can't find some kinda replacement. Shit didn't even cross his _goddamn_ mind. Fuck! How could he be so _fucking_ stupid? As if Edd's attitude wasn't ruining this enough, his own absentmindedness has made the whole endeavor worthless.

Wait, no. Relax. He's gotta have a socket wrench around here somewhere. That'll tune it just fine till he can get an actual tuning key from a music store. Surely there's one around here relatively close by? He returns his attention to Edd.

"I should have somethin' around here I can use for that," he says, hoping he sounds as reassuring as he intends, "I promise; we should be able to start the lessons today no matter what."

Turning back to Terry, Edd wrings his hands together uneasily.

"Thank you…" he mumbles, his gaze lingering on the harp. For a moment, he pauses, fidgeting still. "I'm sorry for…my behavior…" He glances up at the man with a furrowed brow. "You put so much effort into this surprise…just for me." A quick glance at the harp. "I _do_ appreciate it, I just…find it hard to believe you wouldn't demand something in return for any kind gesture that you decide to perform."

"Yeah, well…" Terry grimaces, lowering his hand, "I guess I can't blame you…Can you at least forgive me for leaving that day? And let me make it up to you with this Valentine's thing?"

Edd offers a timid nod before bowing his head again. Terry exhales slowly, trying to mask the relief that response gives him.

"Good," he stands a bit straighter, taking his weight off of the harp, "Now that that's outta the way, I'm gonna go ahead and make you somethin' to eat. Then we'll get to work."

Finally — fucking _finally_ — Edd offers him a shy little smile. The cutest little grin to show his appreciation. Satisfied, Terry walks around him, taking a moment to gently pet the top of his head. Edd leans into the touch, closing his eyes as Terry tousles his hair. As bad as he wants to lean down and kiss those pretty little lips, he deems his more chaste decision to be the better one. It doesn't chase Edd away or leave him grumbling. Just keeps that sweet little grin on his face as he kneels down to pick up the music books.

"What would you like to eat, Princess?" Terry asks as he opens the fridge.

" _Anything's fine…_ " Edd answers. He hears one of the kitchen chairs moving. " _I'm not terribly hungry._ "

Terry glances back to find him sitting at the table and opening one of the lesson books. Sandwiches, then. It's short work to prepare their lunches; a bologna sandwich with a smear of mayonnaise and mustard, and the usual pb&j for Edd. When everything's ready, they sit and eat in content silence, with Edd perusing the music books over his meal, and Terry taking a moment to look through his phone book in search of any possible music store nearby. He's relieved to find a place just out of town. Maybe half an hour both ways if the traffic's bad? That wouldn't be too terrible. And if he's able to tune the harp with a socket wrench, then he can at least teach Edd the scales or something to practice while he's out. It's not like he's gotta lock him up in the bathroom for such a quick trip, after all.

Yeah, that'll work.

And so the rest of the day plays out. After lunch, Terry digs his socket wrench out of a toolbox he keeps stored in the hall closet and moves the harp to the bedroom, ignoring Edd's protests. When they're set up in the bedroom, Terry closes them in and begins the tedious process of tuning the harp. In doing so, he decides that he'll have to see if he can get a measuring device for more accurate tuning along with the actual tool. Until then, he can only rely on his ear to judge whether the harp is truly in tune or not. It's not totally effective, but, by the time he's done, it sounds much better than before.

Finally, it's ready to be played.

To begin, Terry takes his time explaining every nook and cranny of the instrument. His eager little pupil soaks up the introductory lesson like a sponge, parroting back the information in his own words to show his understanding of it. After Edd's able to accurately identify each individual part of the harp — such as where the neck ends and the crown begins — they move on to the notes that each string represents, including a testing pluck to familiarize himself with the sound they produce. At that point, Edd posits a question unrelated to the lesson.

"Can you play something for me?" he asks, his lithe fingers lingering on the G-chord, "I'd very much enjoy a demonstration."

"Maybe later," Terry promises, "Once I've got you practicing the scales, I'm gonna run out to see if I can't pick up that tuning key."

Edd pouts; "But…shouldn't you be monitoring my progress instead of leaving me here alone?"

"I'll still be leavin' you alone when I gotta work, y'know," Terry reminds him, "And besides that; this place ain't nearly as far as fuckin' Peach Creek is. It'll only be about an hour."

"But you have that wrench," Edd points out, "Why don't we just use that?"

"Cuz that's a temporary fix at best," Terry explains, "It's better to have an actual tuning key. A tuning fork too, really; to make sure the tuning is accurate." He gives Edd a careful look. "You wouldn't wanna practice with an out of tune instrument, now would you?"

Edd gives a reluctant nod. Though it seems to be enough to have convinced him, he still doesn't seem too thrilled about the notion. With a soft sigh, Terry wraps his arms around the little waist and leans in to his ear.

"Don't you worry, darlin'," he purrs, nuzzling his cheek, "I'll play you somethin' real pretty tonight before bed."

Groaning, Edd squirms out of his grip.

"Alright, alright…" he grumbles, "Shall we proceed?"

 _Fuckin' adorable._ Chuckling softly, Terry returns their attention to the harp to pick up where they left off. Once Edd's familiar with the notes, he takes a gentle grip on the boy's right wrist and guides his hand to the strings, modeling the proper way to hold his hand and where to place his fingers for the scales. Pinky against his palm while his index, middle, and ring fingers rest on third octave C through E with his thumb on F, and then how to proceed from F to second octave C. When Edd understandably fumbles a bit against the unfamiliar gesture, Terry decides against having him add his left hand just yet, suggesting Edd accustom himself with the right hand first and get used to the action so he can pluck the strings more fluidly. It seems Edd takes that as some kind've challenge or insult, because he then focuses intently on the movement of his fingers, determined to get it right.

Satisfied that this will keep Edd occupied for a bit, Terry leaves him to it, pulling on his clothes. When he's dressed, he grabs his keys and leans over Edd, muttering a promise to return as soon as possible. Edd nods, too focused to give a verbal response. With a smirk, Terry places a quick peck to his cheek before stepping out of the room and locking the door behind him.

The trip to the store is fairly easy. Traffic is light and the only part of the trek that takes any major time is just finding the place. It's a little fuckin' hole-in-the-wall shop that's hella easy to miss. At least they have the shit he needs at a decent price. Quick and painless. Well, nearly painless. He _does_ get a swept up into an annoying discussion about owning and playing the harp which he's less than thrilled to engage in. The fucker takes him for a goddamn amateur and as someone who's 'clearly better suited to something like a guitar', for which he promotes some lessons his kid's offering right now. Waving that shit off, he finishes the transaction as quick as he fucking can and gets the fuck out of there.

Back home, he finds Edd still diligently practicing, though he stops when Terry closes the door behind him, eager to show his practice paying off. After a quick demonstration of the technique he'd learned and a showering of praise and kisses to his precious cheeks and temples, Terry shows him how to add his left hand to the lesson. Mirroring the way he'd held his right hand, he guides the left to fourth octave, instructing the boy to pluck the strings the way he had before, with both hands in sync. To his surprise, Edd starts to struggle like before.

"Need me to show you again?" Terry asks, cocking his brow.

"N-No," Edd retorts with a grimace, "I just need to keep trying…"

Standing back, Terry watches Edd carefully. His timing is slightly off the more attempts he makes, leading to him lower his hands after a moment defeatedly.

"You wanna take a break or somethin'?" Terry offers, leaning over him, "You've been at it for a while now."

"Y-Yes," Edd replies, blushing a little as he wrings his hands together, "P-Perhaps I just…need to rest my hands for a bit?"

"Sure."

"C-Can you play something for me now? P-Perhaps I merely require a more thorough demonstration to gain a better understanding of it?"

Terry shrugs; "If you want."

Edd steps aside to allow Terry to sit down in front of the harp. He can feel the boy watching him as he rests his fingers on the strings. He performs the scales to familiarize himself with them before improvising a melody. Fuck if he can remember any actual songs, after all. As such, he allows his mind and hands to wander, letting the music flow from there. Fantasizing about his darling. Those pretty, emerald eyes. Skin so plush and sweet. Hair so soft beneath his fingers. He allows that to inspire him as he weaves the notes together. His little muse draws closer to him, fingers clawing timidly at his sleeve near his shoulder.

"You really _do_ play well…" the boy mumbles, his tone reflecting a twinge of disappointment.

Terry glances back at him with a furrowed brow.

"Somethin' wrong with that?" he asks.

The question makes Edd tense a little.

"I-I'm just…surprised…" he replies, "The way you were instructing me was very thorough, so clearly you know what you're talking about, but…actually seeing you play…"

He whines softly, distressed by something he's refusing to voice. Terry stops strumming and presses his palms against the still vibrating strings to silence them.

"I thought you _wanted_ me to play for you?" he asks with a grimace.

Shrinking back, Edd fidgets with the hem of his jersey.

"I did!" he stutters, gulping a bit, "It just…seems wrong that you'd play so beautifully…"

"Why's that so surprising? You just admitted that I 'clearly know what I'm talkin' about'."

"I know…" Edd mumbles, hunching his shoulders, "But…y-you're such a brutish person! You don't have much patience at all and you're often far too rough to be capable of handling such a delicate instrument."

Terry glares at him; "The fuck is _that_ supposed to mean?!"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Edd looks away from him.

"It's not…fair…" he pouts, "That _you_ would be so good at this…"

"You realize this shit takes time, right?" Terry scoffs back, "It's not like I just sat down the first day and could play like this."

"I-I know, but—!" Edd stutters, blushing as he hugs his arms instead of crossing them, "Y-You haven't played this in so long and…"

"So?" Terry scoffs, "I know the techniques. So what? Just means I can pick it back up. _You're_ just starting. Remember?"

Edd whines again, doing what he can to avoid saying any more.

Terry regards him suspiciously; "Where the fuck is this comin' from, exactly? Why are you in such a bad goddamn mood all of a sudden? Isn't this what you _wanted?_ "

Edd winces, his brow furrowing in regret; "I-I'm sorry…Please…W-Won't you continue?"

Eyes narrowing, Terry rises from his seat.

"Maybe later…" he grumbles, catching the reluctant look on Edd's face out of the corner of his eye as he makes his way to the door, "I think you should get back to practicing."

As he leaves the room with a huff, he doesn't bother looking back at Edd or even close the door behind him. Just storms away in hopes of finding the remedy for his frustrations at the bottom of a bottle.


	46. Ch 45 - Out of the Edd

Terry stomps into the kitchen, growling as he rips open the fridge for a beer. So much for a pleasant evening filled with beautiful fuckin' music and a shit ton of romance. The _fuck_ was that all about, anyway?! Guzzling down his beverage, Terry flops into one of the chairs at the table, holding his head in his hand. Why the fuck is he doing this again? What was the point of this bullshit venture? Edd's hardly giving him the benefit of the doubt and he's snubbing fucking _everything_ he does.

So…what's the point?

He feels his body slump forward as the anger slowly seeps out of him. Setting the bottle on the table, he drags his hands down his face. If this is how Edd's going to act on day one, what's the goddamn point in proceeding with this plan through the fourteenth? Or the next month? Or the next year? What's the point of putting in this effort to win Edd over gently when he could just go back to _taking_ what he wants from him? For that matter…

What's the point in keeping him any longer than he has? Why should he bother with this any more than he already has?

Taking a deep breath, he sits back, sighing deeply. Would it really be so bad? Giving him back? Letting him go back to the life he believes he wanted? Would such a thing _really_ be so terrible? Well, yeah, no shit — the consequences of his actions will be _severe_. The jail sentence alone should provide enough incentive to prevent him from giving this up until his dying breath. But it's not. Not completely. As panic-inducing as that prospect is, it's all the other consequences of giving Edd back that give him pause. He can see it now. Those shitty parents ordering him around like the little slave they think he is. Never bothering to stay with him and comfort him when he needs them. Eddy pretending to enjoy his company while using him for his stupid little scams. Then throwing him away when he's of no use anymore. And then who will he have to turn to? It makes him sick just thinking about it.

No, he can't let Edd go back to that. As frustrated as this is, he _has_ to see it through.

He's startled a bit by the sound of the harp being strummed again. Right; he didn't close the door behind him. Oh well, Edd's clearly not run off at all. An errant pluck interrupts the otherwise pleasant flow of the scales, which Terry shrugs off. Edd hasn't played an instrument in _months_ and the hand-eye coordination required to play the harp isn't totally intrinsic. Of course he's going to struggle a little at first. Besides, it's not like he ever expected the kid to get the hang of it in a few _hours._ It'll take time.

So why, then, is Edd acting so frustrated about it?

Another improperly-timed pluck, followed by the closest thing to cursing Edd's ever mustered around him before he starts again. He imagines this'll be a difficult night…And maybe a difficult tomorrow. At least he can get away for a bit at work. It'll be a short day anyway, what with the colder weather reducing visiting hours and capacity. For now, though, he'll just have to deal with this weird attitude.

As such, he chooses to stay away from the bedroom for a bit to let Edd simmer down. Turning on the television, he tries to distract himself with something mind-numbing. He can still hear the harp playing softly from the bedroom, permitting him to let himself relax just a bit. Every now and then, the harp goes silent for several seconds before picking back up again, even more stumbling than before.

After a couple of hours, he rises from the couch, cursing softly as a realization strikes him. In his upset, he'd neglected to consider that Edd really shouldn't be practicing for this long. He'd worried before about Edd's fingers, but after letting himself get as pissed off as he was, it didn't cross his mind. Eh…It's about time for dinner, anyway, that'll be a good enough excuse to get Edd away from the instrument for a little while.

Entering the bedroom, he finds Edd in front of the harp, focusing intently on the strings as he tries and fails to produce a proper set of scales. Leaning against the doorframe, he observes him for a moment before sighing.

"That's enough for now," he announces gently, hoping to avoid yet another argument, "How 'bout you take a break?"

Brow furrowing, Edd refuses to look his way; "I won't get better if I don't practice."

"You've been at it all day," Terry retorts, "You need a break."

Edd glances at him, "But…I-I'm so close to getting it right! I just need more time."

"It's not like this is a race, Princess," Terry retorts with a grimace, "Shit takes time."

"I…I know…" Edd bows his head, "I just…want to get better…that's all…"

Humming softly, Terry steps further into the room.

"That's all well n' good," he begins carefully, "But for now, I want you to stop n' come have dinner. You can pick back up where you left off afterwards if you're gonna be so damn gung-ho about it."

Pouting, Edd hunches his shoulders; "I-I'm not hungry…"

He blushes deeply when his stomach counters with a rumbling growl. With a sigh, he lets his shoulders fall in defeat. Terry nudges his arm a bit.

"C'mon."

Still pouting, Edd reluctantly rises from the stool, letting his hands rest at his side. Ushering Edd from the bedroom to the kitchen, Terry sits him down at the table. He doesn't bother asking what Edd wants. He's sure the answer will be something along the lines of 'Nothing much', or 'I'm _really_ not that hungry'. So might as well just get started. He decides to make some spaghetti. A nice, filling meal that Edd seems to enjoy quite a lot.

He happens a glance back at the table when he's got everything going, spotting the boy fidgeting terribly with his eyes locked on the hall.

"Give it a rest, Princess," Terry chides with a sigh, drawing the boy's attention back to him, "Takin' a break ain't gonna kill you."

"I know," Edd retorts, "I just…feel like I'm wasting time."

Terry stares down into the bubbling water, idly stirring the noodles,"It's important to take breaks, y'know. It's not good for you to keep going for that long."

Edd doesn't argue with that, leaving Terry's words to hang in the air around them. They linger in silence for a bit while Terry heats up the sauce and takes the noodles off the stove. When everything's ready, he prepares a couple of bowls and sets one down in front of Edd, along with a fork to eat with. As he sits down beside him with his own bowl, he sees Edd hesitate to start eating. He regards the boy with a furrowed brow.

"I know you're hungry," he states, making Edd glance at him, "Get to eatin' before it gets cold."

Eyes drifting back to the meal in front of him, Edd reaches for the fork, delicately picking it up with his shaking hand. Terry watches him carefully, waiting for Edd to start putting the food in his mouth and chewing. Satisfied when he does, Terry tucks in as well, spooling the noodles onto his own fork. Another glimpse towards Edd gives him pause, though, as he notices the boy wincing and his hand shaking even more. Setting his fork down, he reaches for Edd's hand. Instinctively, he assumes, Edd tries to shy away, but his wrist is caught, the fork clattering from his already loose grip as Terry inspects his hand.

 _Damn…_

He should've seen this coming. All of Edd's fingers, save for the pinkies, are bright red. A quick inspection of the other hand reveals the same blistering sight, though much less severe. A result of plucking those strings too damn long without rest. He directs a grimace Edd's way, but, the kid's not looking back at him, his face a bright red. Terry sighs, gently releasing Edd's hands.

"No more practicing for tonight," he commands as he grabs Edd's fork.

"But—"

"I said no," Terry dictates through his teeth, flashing him a warning look as he collects some spaghetti onto the fork, "You can't keep playing like this. You can barely even hold a fuckin' fork. Now, open wide."

Huffing a bit, Edd reluctantly opens his mouth to allow Terry to feed him. Their meal prevents any further conversation as Terry swaps between feeding Edd and taking bites from his own plate. He curses himself for his own bullshit negligence. How could he let it get this _fucking_ bad? Sure, he knew playing the harp would be rough on Edd's fingers, but he didn't anticipate he'd get to _this_ point so fast. Is Edd _really_ so delicate that his tender flesh would blister so easily? He feels so damn stupid. How could he be so careless as to let Edd do this to himself? He prepares another bite for Edd, still seething.

" _Are you mad at me…?_ "

Glancing over at Edd's face again, he finds him close to tears; quivering and staring at the table. Shit, were all those thoughts showing on his face? Calming himself with a few slow, deep breaths, Terry fidgets with the fork in his hand and reaches over to cup the back of Edd's head.

"Of course not," he assures him, gently rubbing the nape of Edd's neck, "I just don't like seeing you hurt like this."

Edd's sorrowful look turns into a timid glare; "You didn't seem to mind before…"

"That's different," Terry grumbles back before biting back his irritability, "I don't like seeing you hurt _yourself_ like this. Why didn't you stop when your fingers started to hurt?"

"I wanted to keep practicing," Edd replies with a shrug, repeating his earlier statement like a mantra, "I can't improve if I don't practice."

"You also can't play with blistered fingers," Terry points out smugly, "And if you gotta recover from _that_ , you'll fall out of practice even longer."

Deflating again, Edd seems to finally relent to that argument.

"I suppose I'm just not used to an instrument like this…" he admits after a moment.

"What d'you mean?" Terry asks, raising the fork again, "How'd you play that pedal thing?"

"Pedal steel guitar…" Edd corrects morosely, "I utilized special picks that I could wear on my fingers and a bar for the frets. I never actually touched the strings with my bare fingers."

Terry hums thoughtfully as he offers the next bite to Edd, who accepts it without hesitation.

"Yeah, that definitely sounds different," he relents, "Well, don't worry, sweetheart. You'll get used to playing the harp eventually. Your fingers build up callouses over time, but that doesn't happen overnight. You just gotta be patient."

They finish their meal in an uncomfortable silence, with Edd fidgeting and looking anywhere but Terry's face. When their plates are cleared, Terry sets the dishes in the sink.

" _May I_ —"

"No," Terry retorts, turning back to Edd to find the boy standing from the table.

"You don't know what I was going to ask," Edd argues with a pout.

"Wash the dishes? Practice the harp? Fuckin' _anything_ else?" Terry offers, "Whatever it is, the answer's no. You need to rest your goddamn hands."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Edd tries to look angry, but winces after a moment when he puts a bit too much pressure on his fingers. With a soft sigh, Terry approaches him putting his hand on the small back.

"It's been a long day," he murmurs, "I think we should get some sleep."

Edd doesn't answer immediately, but also doesn't start moving towards the hallway.

"Can you…play for me again?" he asks finally, glancing up at the man with a furrowed brow.

"You sure?" Terry asks with a grimace, "You didn't seem to like my playin' before."

"I'm sorry…" Edd bows his head, "I…I _do_ want to hear you play again. You play so well…" He leans into the man's side. "Please?"

God… _fucking_ dammit…Even with blistered fingers, Terry can feel the kid tugging feebly at his heartstrings. Playing him like a damn fiddle to get what he wants. He fuckin' hates how well it's working, too. With a groan, he starts leading Edd back to the bedroom.

"Fine, fine," he relents, "Whatever you want, Princess."

Seems that's the answer his little darling wanted, as he leans against Terry's arm as they walk. When they enter the bedroom, Edd releases his arm to approach the bed, where he takes a seat facing the harp. Discarding his plaid jacket, Terry shuts the door behind them before sitting down on the stool in front of the harp. He glances back at Edd with a smirk.

"Want me to play you a lullaby, sweetheart?" he purrs.

Hunching his shoulders, Edd averts his gaze before offering a shy; "Y-Yes. If you don't mind."

Ignoring how much that response turns him on, Terry redirects his attention to the harp idling before him.

"Not at all," he retorts, offering the strings a playful strum, "You just lay yer pretty little head back and I'll play you somethin' real nice."

The sheets start rustling behind him, indicating that Edd's shifting on the bed. When they settle, he begins, strumming out a gentle tune slowly and sweetly. Weaving a playful melody that dips and leaps, bounding its way towards Edd's little dreamland.

He loses track of time as he serenades his sweet little Princess with the lilting notes, only stopping when he feels himself nodding off. He happens a look back at Edd, finding him nestled comfortably amidst the sheets, lost deeply to sleep. His precious face is as relaxed as the rest of him and his little fingers are curled slightly. It takes everything Terry has to ignore the stirring in his loins at the sight of his little sleeping beauty.

Pleased, he rises from the stool, shedding his clothes down to just his boxers. With a satisfied sigh, he crawls into bed behind Edd, wrapping his arm around the slender waist as he pulls the covers up over them. Edd stirs some, curling up a little more and nuzzling the pillow. After a quick peck to Edd's cheek, Terry lays back and closes his eyes to sleep as well.

* * *

Regretfully, morning sneaks up on him. A faint pounding rouses him, drawing out a groggy groan. Edd's still sleeping comfortably behind him, his little body as limp as a doll. For a moment, he considers letting himself drift back off, but the pounding resumes.

He realizes suddenly through the haze that it's coming from the front door. Moving as carefully as he can to avoid waking Edd, he stumbles from the bed and out the door, prepared to yell at whoever the fuck has decided to come a-knockin'. Yanking the door open, he takes a breath to start yelling when he finds himself face-to-face with Mike.

"Oh, it's you…" he grumbles, rubbing his eyes, "The fuck do you want?"

"The fuck do _I_ want?" Mike echoes, giving him an incredulous look, "Hmm, well let's see…I _want_ my fuckin' employees to show up for their shifts within at least a goddamn _hour_ that I schedule 'em."

 _Oh fuck._ Glancing back at the microwave, he finds that it's nearly two. He cringes, glancing back at the bossman, who's still giving him an angry look.

"You were s'posed to be at the 'Tilt-O-Hurl' a fuckin' _hour and a half_ ago."

"M'sorry…" he grumbles, "I musta forgot to set the alarm."

"Uh huh…" Mike scoffs, "How many times d'ya think I'm gonna buy that excuse?"

"Look, I'm _sorry,_ okay?" Terry groans, "I'll be right out."

"You fuckin' well _better_ be!" Mike guffaws, "One more slip-up, motherfucker and I'm gonna have to let you go. I ain't puttin' up with this anymore."

"Alright, I get it," Terry sighs, "Lemme get dressed and I'll meet you at the 'Tilt' in twenty minutes."

"I suggest you make it ten," Mike warns, turning to walk away.

Groaning, Terry shuts the door again before retreating to the bedroom. Edd's sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nah," Terry grumbles, searching through his drawers for a clean pair of pants and a clean jersey, "I'm runnin' late for work. If you gotta pee or anything, I'd go now while I'm gettin' dressed. Cuz I gotta leave as soon as I'm done."

Eyes growing a little wider at the urgency of the situation, Edd slips off the bed and rushes out of the room. Terry leans out the bedroom door, watching him disappear into the bathroom (just to be sure). With a sigh, he focuses on pulling his clothes on. God forbid he do anything to get Mike on his ass any worse than he already is.

Edd returns just as Terry's pulling on his shirt, the barest of remnants of toothpaste lingering on his lips. He stands by the door, looking unsure of what else he should be doing. Terry shoots the harp a look before returning his attention to Edd.

"I don't have time to move that right now," he states as he pockets his keys and wallet, "Will you _promise me_ you won't practice anymore today? At least not till this evening?"

Edd gives the instrument a longing glance, his shoulders slumping.

"Okay…" he mumbles.

Grabbing his jacket, Terry approaches Edd; pausing briefly to wipe away the foamy residue and kiss his forehead.

"Good," he states, turning to the door, "I'll be back for my break and I'll bring you somethin' to eat then. And I'll have your next present after my shift ends tonight."

"Okay…" Edd replies, adding just before the door is shut, "H-Have a good day!"

Shit, that little well-wishing is _just_ what he fuckin' needed! After a pit stop at the bathroom to bleed the lizard, he rushes from the trailer. He just barely misses Mike's arbitrary ten minutes, but he doesn't seem to be complaining anymore when he arrives at the Tilt-O-Hurl to relieve Russ from his post. Then it's down to settling into the doldrums of a typical shift. Mike refuses him a break aside from a meal for showing up so goddamn late. Should still be fine. His shift ends around half-past seven, so as long as he doesn't have to stay after too long, he should still be able to make it to the florist's before they close. Just gotta stomach the three or so hours before he can eat.

He hopes _Edd_ can wait that long…

When his lunch break finally comes up, he grabs a quick bite from Adam — thank _god_ he's fast — and runs back to the trailer, hoping Edd's not _too_ hungry. Entering the bedroom, he finds Edd on the bed, his arms crossed in front of him as he reads from the music books. Terry's surprised, however, to find him wearing one of his faded plaid overshirts. The sleeves go well past his fingers — not that he can see, since he's practically hugging his middle and they're obscured — and it falls over him like an open dress.

He gives the boy a skeptical look; "…Cold?"

Edd offers him a nervous laugh in return; "O-Oh yes! I-I was beginning to feel quite chilly. I…hope you don't mind if I borrow your shirt?"

Terry steps further into the room, glancing between Edd and the harp in suspicion. It doesn't look to have been touched, but something about Edd's behavior has him feeling wary.

His little Princess is a shitty liar, after all.

"Got your lunch," he mumbles, setting the food on the bed and taking a seat beside him, "Sorry I didn't make you anything before I left."

"Th-That's okay!" Edd replies with a bright smile, "I'm not too hungry."

"You haven't eaten anything all day," Terry notes, removing one of the the medium-sized orders of popcorn shrimp from the bag.

"Well…y-yes, but…" Edd stutters, blushing a bit, "It's not that bad…"

"Uh huh…" Terry shoots him a suspicious look, staring specifically at the way Edd's still not unfurled his arms, "You okay?"

"Hmm?" Edd's face falls, "Y-Yes! Why wouldn't I be?"

"Yer actin' a little weird."

"I…don't know what you mean," Edd shrugs back.

"Why ain't you eatin' yet?"

"Uh…" Edd swallows thickly, slowly uncurling his left hand to reach for the box.

He doesn't try to grab it with his bare hand, instead leaving it covered by the sleeve. Before he can start eating, however, Terry grabs his wrist. Standing out brightly against the faded red of the plaid is a distinctly red stain where his fingers should be beneath the fabric. Pulling the sleeve back, he feels a swell of panic at the sight of Edd's fingers, stained faintly red amidst the blistered flesh. Brow furrowed, he reaches for Edd's other wrist, using a bit more force to pull the boy's hand towards him as Edd tries to shy away. His panic is replaced with rage at the sight of Edd's index, middle, and ring fingers, still bleeding from the red skin splitting open — a common ailment, he recognizes, from over-practicing with most plucked string instruments.

"What the _fuck_ did you do?" he demands, leaning into Edd's face a bit.

Edd cringes away, whimpering softly; "I…"

"You were playing the harp again, _weren't you_?"

Shutting his eyes tight, Edd braces himself a bit.

" _I had to!_ " he whines back, "It was only going to be for a short while! I wasn't going to practice for very long!"

"Long enough for _this_ to happen!" Terry reminds him, shaking his wrist a bit.

Edd gives him a feeble look; "But Mo—" He stops, wincing before looking away again. "But T-Terry…I _have_ to get it right…"

With a groan, Terry rises from the bed and tugs Edd along, forcing the boy to stumble off of the mattress after him as he leads the way to the bathroom. Sitting Edd down on the toilet lid, he retrieves the first aid kit from under the sink. He hardly looks at Edd's face as he kneels down beside him to inspect the wounds on his fingers. He sighs softly, realizing that he might've had the tension too high when he tuned the harp yesterday. Maybe _that's_ what did it? Because there's not much of a reason for Edd to have gotten to this point so quickly otherwise with over-practicing alone. He just wishes the kid would _fucking_ listen to him. Just _once!_

Glancing back at Edd's face, he gives him a stern look.

"Well, so much for getting better," he states coldly, "Cuz now you're gonna have to put off playing for maybe a week until this heals completely."

"What?!" Edd gasps, "B-But I _have_ to improve! I can't just _stop._ "

"Why are you so hung up on this?!" Terry demands, "What's got you so fucking obsessed with 'improving'?"

Hunching his shoulders, Edd looks away with a pout, wincing as Terry applies hydrogen peroxide to the cuts.

"I just… _have to?_ " he mumbles back, "Y-You expect me to be good at it, so…I-I _have_ to improve, right? To make your efforts worth it by mastering it as soon as possible?"

"Who said anything about 'mastering'?"

"Isn't that the point?" Edd doesn't look any less confused. "To perfect it as soon as I can? Isn't that what you expect?"

"The fuck are you _talking_ about?" Terry snaps, startling him, "I never said you _had_ to learn how to play — let alone 'master it'. I brought that harp home cuz I thought that's what _you_ wanted. You _asked me_ to teach you to play, remember?"

"But…" Edd searches Terry's faces for some answer, "Y-You put yourself through so much just to get it for me…? You planned out this elaborate Valentine's event and endured being around the family you despise so much. All to get me an instrument you intended to teach me to play. D-Doesn't that mean that…I…I _have_ to perfect it?"

"No!" Terry rubs his head, fighting off the oncoming headache, "Who said _anything_ about that? If you don't wanna play, you don't _have_ to. I never said you _had_ to learn. I mean, shit — I'll play for you whenever you ask if you don't want to play it yourself. And if you _do_ want to learn, I'll teach you, but I _never_ said you 'had to'." He takes a breath, grabbing a few bandages. "So, can you _please_ stop treating this like some kinda bullshit obligation or something?"

Terry's relieved when Edd doesn't answer him as he applies the bandages. He doesn't really feel much like talking anymore anyway. This whole charade has him feeling so goddamn frustrated. He's faced with those awful questions again; _What's the point?_ _Why is he still doing this? Why not just quit and face the consequences for what he's done?_ The answers are fading fast for him, leaving him floundering in his uncertainty.

He drags his thoughts back to reality as he secures the last bandage and starts packing the kit back up.

"There," he mumbles, setting it aside and turning back to Edd, "Now, can you do me a favor and just—"

He's silenced by Edd's arms locking around his neck in a tight embrace. The delicate little body against his own, shivering ever-so slightly. The plush cheek pressing desperately against his jaw and a distinctly warm wetness against his neck. Edd's grip tightens a bit for just a moment.

" _Thank you…_ " he mumbles, his voice cracking and laden with still more tears.

Terry's too surprised to react at first, still trying to discern where any of this is coming from. He can't deny that there are certainly times when he just can't read this kid to save his life.

But he's not sure that matters anymore. With a soft sigh, he returns the hug; placing one hand against the back of Edd's head and wrapping the other around the boy's waist. He closes his eyes, letting Edd cling to him as long as he needs. In the back of his mind, he tries to remember his time limit, but quickly loses that battle to focus instead on the feeling of Edd's sweet hold upon him.

He wishes it'd just last the eternity it feels like it does before Edd shyly releases his hold, curling away to bury his face in Terry's neck. Petting Edd's hair, he leans into his ear.

"What's going on, Princess?" he coos, "What's got you actin' like this?"

Edd hesitates to answer, his fingers curling and uncurling against Terry's shoulder. Sighing softly, he settles heavily against the man.

"I'm sorry…" he murmurs, "For everything…I didn't…mean it." Nuzzling his nose against Terry's neck. "Can you…forgive me?"

Humming softly, Terry turns to place a tender kiss to his cheek.

"Sure I can," he purrs, giving him a little squeeze, "So long as you start listenin' to me and stop playin' the harp until I tell you it's okay."

Edd nods; "Okay."

"Good."

Reluctantly, he pushes Edd away so he can rise to his feet.

"I gotta get back," he states softly, "Let's get you somethin' to eat."

Taking Edd's uninjured hand, he leads him back to the bedroom. He's got about five minutes left, unfortunately leaving _him_ no time to eat before he heads back out. But he does have time for at least one thing. Leaving Edd to sit down on the bed to eat, he moves the harp out into the hallway. Even if he's got Edd promising him (again) that he won't try to play, he doesn't feel like he can trust that. Well, like _hell_ he could trust that, really. When he's got the instrument out of the bedroom, he returns to grab his lunch to eat on the job.

"I'll be back around nine," he says, "And I'll have your present then."

"Okay…" Edd mumbles.

Placing his hand against Edd's head, Terry leans closer to him.

"Be good for me, sweetheart," he purrs, "And rest up."

Edd nods, gazing back at him solemnly. Grinning, Terry leans in to place a quick kiss to his forehead before turning to leave.

* * *

As his shift winds to a close, Terry sneaks off to the florist's. He arrives around ten to eight — just about closing time. Because of that, he gets a less than an ideal welcome from the fucker behind the counter.

"Sorry to come in so late," he mumbles, "But I need a dozen roses."

"Oh yeah?" the florist scoffs, "Come back tomorrow. We're closed."

"Sign says I still got ten minutes," Terry points out, "I woulda come earlier, but I had to work today — I couldn't make it till now. I'll get outta yer hair ASAP — I just need those roses."

"Valentine's Day ain't for another week n' a half. Come back around then."

"It ain't _for_ Valentine's Day," Terry lies, "It's my mom's birthday."

"You waited till eight at night to get yer mom a birthday present?"

"I _told you_ ," Terry grits his teeth, "I had to work. Now I'm off and I wanna give her somethin' nice. Now, can you help me or not?"

The guy gives him an irritated look, still unwilling to relent. Terry decides to try sweetening the deal a bit.

"I need a vase too."

That seems to get his attention. With a sigh, he walks around the counter to approach the collection of roses. Terry watches him for a moment before a thought occurs to him.

"Not to be a bother," he begins, "But is it possible to get any without thorns? Mom's real delicate and I'd hate to hurt her fingers with her birthday present."

He's given another annoyed look, thereby throwing out the very idea. Terry watches as he gathers up a bouquet of twelve nice-looking roses. At least he didn't give Terry the scraps. They're not too small or missing petals. They still look and smell pretty. It'll be fine, he's sure. And, really, even if they _did_ look shitty, he's not got a lot of options.

After paying for the roses and a simple vase, he's back on the road. Just one last stop at a burger joint to pick up dinner for himself and Edd and he returns to Mondo A-Go-Go. He finds Edd reading again when he opens the bedroom door. He's removed the bloodstained shirt and left it folded-up neatly on the edge of the bed. Terry doesn't enter the room entirely and instead leans against the doorframe and shooting him a grin. Edd glances up at him, cocking his head to the side in confusion.

"C'mere, Princess," he purrs, hiding the roses behind his back.

Edd obeys, sliding off the bed and approaching him with a furrowed brow. When he's near enough, Terry presents the flowers to him.

"Happy second of Valentine's, sweetheart," he boasts, delighting in the little gasp and bright smile that draws upon Edd's face.

He coos and fawns over the roses, breathing in their fragrance as he delicately holds the wrapped bouquet.

"They're lovely!" he sighs dreamily, "Thank you!"

That's a helluva lot better than yesterday, at least. Terry pats his head, chuckling softly. Edd glances up at him.

"Can we keep them in here?"

"In here?" Terry echoes, giving him a suspicious look.

"Yes," Edd confirms, "I think they'd brighten up the room quite nicely. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Hmm…sure," Terry shrugs, "Let's go put 'em in the vase and we'll set 'em up in here after we eat."

Still beaming, Edd takes the hand Terry offers him and joins him in walking out to the kitchen. Oh yeah. _Much_ better than yesterday.


	47. Ch 46 - Build Edd Bridges

Terry relishes the smooth sailing that follows. After a pleasant dinner, they set the roses up in the bedroom and enjoy a bit of television before Edd starts itching for a shower; a request which Terry obliges with the sole condition that he join him to help him wash his hair and such — so as to keep any suds out of the cuts on the boy's fingers. Yeah…that's why. Edd seems to buy it at least, and doesn't protest the assistance. In hindsight amidst the steam and running water, Terry admits that maybe it's not the perfect solution. Being exposed to that sweet flesh — tender thigh against his leg, his fingers grazing Edd's chest where they peek through the washcloth, a tilt of the head to rinse the suds away that unwittingly demands a liberal application of bruising kisses to the slender neck — and knowing he can't indulge in his lust, is proving to be the utmost torture.

Oh well…Edd gets clean and he's happy. _Guess that's all that matters._ No music tonight. After re-bandaging Edd's fingers, Terry escorts him back to the bedroom, leaving the harp in the hall. As they crawl into bed, Edd seems to be too relaxed to stay awake for much longer. Not that Terry is at all inspired to complain. That sweet little head resting on his shoulder as they settle comfortably beneath the sheets is making his previous frustrations fade away into nothing. Hell, in his own relaxation, he barely has enough strength to set his alarm for the next day…but he sure as shit manages.

Like hell is he gonna let Mike tear into him again for oversleeping…

The next morning proves to be just as relaxing as the night it follows. Waking up to his alarm gives him more than enough time to get up and prepare breakfast for Edd and himself, and, of course, to give Edd his next gift. For day three, he offers Edd the box of chocolates in a heart-shaped box. Along with a pleasant 'thank you', it earns him a delighted giggle as Edd points out the stereotypical nature of chocolates and roses as romantic offerings. At least he's not actually complaining about it, though, and he kindly offers Terry one of the chocolates before he leaves. With a grin, Terry pops the candy into his mouth and gives him a quick, chocolatey peck on the cheek before heading out to the park.

The day is thankfully routine. Between breaks, he endures his job per usual. No real hiccups or frustrations past Mike giving him a bit of shit, but even that isn't as bad as it could be. When he slips away for his fifteen and for lunch, he retreats to his trailer to spend a bit of time with Edd, who's indulging in his present little by little. Terry decides to help him along a bit more, popping another chocolate into his mouth with a teasing wink. It gets another cute giggle out of Edd, so he calls it a victory.

That evening is also spent somewhat mundanely. No petty arguments, no stress; just peace and quiet and tender words shared over a little gentle music. Edd sitting beside him on the floor, his head resting on the man's thigh as he idly watches Terry's fingers and the way they move over the harp's strings. His eyes meeting Terry's for just a moment before looking away shyly. Terry reaching down to affectionately pat the boy's head, earning a sweet smile and a pleased hum. It's nice, Terry admits. He only hopes he manages to continue this pleasant streak.

* * *

Rolling into day four, it seems like that's just what's going to happen. Today's gift is the stack of textbooks, which Edd is ecstatic to receive. He flips through them with fervor, gushing about how much he'll be able to learn, but also chastising Terry for spending so much money on him — because of _course_ Edd would know that these textbooks are pricey as fuck. Chuckling, Terry silences him with a tender kiss to the cheek and a nuzzle to his jaw as he smugly informs Edd he's well worth _any_ expense. And, oh! The adorable blush that earns him. The shy little grin as Edd tugs on his hair, barring the locks from tickling his shoulders. Oh yeah. That shit right there's worth more than any mere 'thank you' the kid responds with and it's certainly more than enough to carry him through his shift.

Good thing, too, as he remains slightly on edge. He needs a gift for tomorrow. What he does have, he hoped to save for later days, but he's running out of options. The soaps aren't a great idea right now — he'll wanna give him at least another day or so for those cuts to heal — and everything else lines up much better for further down the line. He also doesn't really have time today to run out to a store to look for anything, putting him in a tough spot.

He decides, eventually, to grab a stuffed animal from one of the game stands. Edd'll like that right? Kids like that shit…right? Too bad the selection is mostly bullshit. He sometimes regrets working in a nautical-themed amusement park. All of the prizes are limited to fish and other marine life in some way. Sharks, whales, crabs — none of them really seem that great. Seahorses? Nah. Dolphins? Eh…Shrimp. Why? Not to mention all of the pop-culture-related toys…Finally, he finds something Edd…might like? It looks like some kinda octopus? Or maybe a squid, but with really short tentacles all bunched together where it's mouth might be. It's probably the cutest toy available, he admits, and maybe Edd will like that it's kind've obscure-looking?

By the time he returns home at the end of the day, Edd's torn through one chapter from each book, pouring over the lessons and completing the practice problems they provide. As expected, he proudly shows off his work, explaining each problem and the lesson at hand to thoroughly demonstrate his understanding. Though most of it flies right over his head and it feels like he's back in school, Terry can't deny the swell of pride as his little genius tries to give him a mini-lesson of his own. As such, when he's through with his explanation, Terry rewards him with a cache of kisses to his cheeks and temples amidst his praises of how smart his little Princess is, drawing forth a barrage of giggles prettier than anything he could possibly manage on the harp.

They ease into their comfortable nightly routine. Dinner, followed by a bit of light reading for a change — or at least what Edd considers 'light' — a pleasant shower; all leading to them settling warmly beneath the sheets. As he drifts away slowly, cradling that sweet little form close to him, Terry ponders briefly how far he's finally come after months of work. How he once wondered if he'd ever get to this point. To this heaven. It's a relief, really, to know that things are calming down. He still intends to stay on guard for a bit — he's let himself get too comfortable before, after all — but for now, at least, he can relax at least a little.

* * *

Finally comes a day off. Well, sort of. He's not on the schedule today, but that doesn't mean he gets to relax. Though there's nothing more Terry would like to do than stay in with Edd, today's the last day he's got to find the perfect clothes for the kid. He also desperately needs to find just one more present aside from the outfit. Therefore, as he retrieves the plush from the hall closet, he prepares the lie in his head. Something about errands to run — he should probably pick up some groceries while he's out anyway. That'll work.

Upon presenting Edd with the toy, he receives an initial look of confusion.

"A doll?" Edd asks as he gingerly takes the toy from him.

"Kinda," Terry shrugs, taking a seat beside him, "I uh…I dunno. I thought you might like somethin' soft to…well, hug onto? Keep you company, in a way?"

Bowing his head, Edd pets the soft fabric; a tiny smile creeping onto his face.

"I suppose it _…is_ a rather endearing gesture…" he relents, giving the toy a bit of a squeeze, "It's so soft too…"

Terry cocks his brow, "So…ya like it?"

Edd nods, blushing shyly; "Thank you."

Sighing softly in relief, Terry shoots him a smug grin; "Great. I know it's a little weird, but we don't have much else past fish stuff. I mean, there were sharks n' shit that looked okay, but I figured you might like an octopus a lil more."

"Octopus?" Edd echoes, cocking his head to the side.

"Yeah," Terry nods, towards the doll, "Or…squid, whatever."

After a quick glance back at the plush, Edd wells up into a fit of giggles. Terry regards him suspiciously.

"The fuck's so funny?"

Edd manages to calm himself; "It's neither of those."

"The fuck is it, then?"

"It's a cuttlefish."

"A what?"

"A cuttlefish," Edd explains through a lingering laugh, "They're cephalopods — like squids and octopuses — but they're part of a different order: Sepiida, if I remember correctly. Cuttlefish are a lot more stout and move slowly through the water as well."

"Didn't know you were a mini marine biologist…" Terry mumbles.

"Not at all," Edd replies, rolling his eyes, "Eddy used to orchestrate a number of nautically-oriented scams, so I would thoroughly research marine life to help make them more authentic. But when Eddy cared more about style over substance, I started putting my efforts towards the bare minimum to maximize our time spent on the manufacturing of those endeavors."

"Huh…" Terry grimaces at the very mention of his brother's name, "Kay then…"

Edd's shoulders fall and he bows his head shyly.

"I'm sorry…" he murmurs, gently tugging on one of the short tentacles, "I didn't mean to make light of your gift. I do still like it."

"Glad to hear it," Terry rises to his feet with a sigh, "You can play with it while I'm out."

That gets the kid looking at him again; "Again?"

"Sorry," Terry retorts with a shrug, "I got some errands to run now that I got the day off. Laundry, groceries — all that."

"Do you really have to go _now?_ " Edd pouts, feebly hugging the cuttlefish.

"Just wanna get it out of the way," Terry assures him, reaching out to stroke Edd's cheek, "That way, when I'm done, I can spend the rest of that time with you."

That seems to be enough to settle the boy again. With a timid nod, he protests no further as Terry places a quick kiss to the top of his head.

"I'll be back in a bit," Terry promises, grabbing his keys.

* * *

And so begins the search. He starts with a nearby thrift store. There are those little nuggets that sometimes pop up in places like that. Maybe he'll get lucky? Eh…scratch that. After about half an hour, he's gone through each aisle and come back with dick. At least as far as clothes go. He does, however, find a necklace of some kind. The pendant is kinda ugly, but it's hanging from a lovely, black velvet ribbon. He can probably do something with that, at least. _Better than fuckin' nothing._ Offering an irritable grumble in response to the cashier's 'have a nice day!', he takes his change and leaves with the necklace for the next stop. He tries the mall that's fairly close, hitting up stores that are targeted towards kids specifically, but still coming up empty-handed. He can feel his patience growing thin. He decides to check out the big-box store for his last-ditch attempt. Regardless of whether or not he finds something he _genuinely_ wants, he can at least get something similar to Edd's old clothes (which, he acknowledges, Edd would likely be much happier with).

His quest takes him around the clothing department, sorting through drab or overly colorful nonsense. Eventually, he stumbles into the pajamas, where he comes across a set of extra soft, black and red lounge pants and short-sleeved top to match. They're in the girl's section, but there's nothing about them that's _inherently_ feminine. Maybe the silky material or the red piping along the edges? But the silkiness seems more for comfort than to indicate gender, and even the piping is subtle enough that it doesn't immediately scream 'girl's clothes'. This might actually work. He still needs to find a set of regular clothes — something that could be worn outside, not to bed — but he has a feeling Edd will adore some pajamas to sleep in rather than his old jersey. Oh shit…but then he can't see his Princess wearing his clothes n' being all sexy in bed! Ugh…no, that's the idea…to give Edd something he'll like and to make him feel like less of an 'object'.

Fine. Sacrifices must be made in the name of his darling's happiness. He looks through the selection and finds a size that'll surely be a bit big, but which Edd can then grow into — and fuck if he wants to get something too small, of course. Pleased with this find, he renews his search, sticking with the girl's section (since it paid off so damn well just now).

And lo, he finally finds something promising. It's a dress of some sort, but Terry almost doesn't recognize it as such at first. It's more like an over-sized, hooded sweatshirt, but which is long enough in the torso that it would come to the child's knees. It comes in a myriad of colors; pinks, purples, yellows — Ooh! A nice plaid! Can't really go wrong there. Red and black with a front pocket: it could easily pass off as a big shirt (which would make Edd more comfortable wearing it) or a dress for…

Yeah, this'll work. After finding a size he thinks will fit, he picks out some slim-fitting jeans as well to wear under it and a pair of sneakers. The shoes were honestly a little tricky. He can just barely remember a number five in the size description on the shoes he'd taken from the kid — not that he's seen them in ages — so he grabs a size six just in case. Edd's surely grown just a little in these past few months? And, if nothing else, he can return these if they don't fit and trade up or down. Oh, and he can't forget a pack of socks and some underwear.

With this final purchase in tow, he pays and heads straight to the laundromat. Sure, he should probably have Edd try these clothes on before washing them, but he wants the boy to be able to wear them almost immediately after opening his gift. He can't be letting him try them on and then waste time running out to get them washed. And he assumes his little germaphobe would hate to wear new clothes that could've been tried on by any number of other people. No, he'll make sure they're fresh and clean for his Princess.

While he waits for the spin cycle, he plans out how he wants to proceed with the days to follow. If Edd's fingers are healing well, he'll give the kid the soaps tomorrow. He'll save the regular clothes for day thirteen…The pjs would probably be good after the soaps. There's that romantic dinner he'd like to have soon — he'll have to figure out what Edd would actually _want_ and also make sure he's off for the day so he can prepare or…well, more likely, _order_ it. Then maybe a movie night? Ooh, maybe he can find some bath salts while he's at the grocery store, too? Give the kid a little spa day, of sorts? A back rub set to soothing music one night? That about covers the rest of the days. Well…almost.

Aside from the clothes and a big finale, he does have one last idea that he'd like to save for last, and it may be among the riskier moves he intends to make. Though Edd detests his sexual advances, he's enjoyed certain aspects of their intimacy in the past, specifically the foreplay. He's liked the gentle, tender touches that bring him to orgasm. The lustful sweet-nothings whispered hotly into his ear. The passionate kisses that leave beautiful reds and purples along his neck and shoulders. Terry wants a night of just that — of just making Edd feel so damn good and leaving him relaxed and comfortable with his doting lover. The risk, of course, lies with Edd's response to such a suggestion. How he'd likely be averse to the notion of sex in any form as one of his Valentine's gifts. Eh…at least it's a few more days away. Maybe the other presents will help butter him up a bit and make him more open to such a notion?

After the clothes are clean, he heads out to pick up the groceries, lamenting the fact that he's already been out for a couple of hours. He's gotta wrap this up quick and get home. Therefore, he rushes through his grocery list — mostly the essentials, but also some veggies for his little picky eater, and, of course, the bath salts — or 'bath fizzies' — and a pack of freeze-dried rose petals on sale for the coming holiday.

The last stop on his list is the video store, where he picks out a few cheesy rom-coms. Nothing _too_ salacious, just some cutesy bullshit that'll give Edd the warm fuzzies n' shit like that. Get him feelin' all cuddly and maybe a little romantic himself. With that thought in mind, he checks out and heads home. He decides not to get any fast food today. Edd would surely appreciate a more 'healthy' alternative. He does take a moment, after carrying everything inside, to wrap the gifts and store them away in the hall closet. Then he goes to retrieve Edd and enjoy the rest of his peaceful evening.

* * *

That tranquil night leads into a quiet morning, which sees him off to work again, something Terry _might_ protest, were he not in a bit of a desperate need of money right now. He manages to drag his ass out of bed early enough to make breakfast and shower, followed by a quick inspection of Edd's fingers, which he's mostly pleased to find have healed quite well — certainly enough that he can't use the cuts as an excuse to bathe the boy any longer (dammit). Oh well, it also means he can give Edd the assortment of special soaps and shampoos, organized as neatly as possible in a nice basket. Thus far, it's definitely Edd's favorite. He pops open each bottle, testing out their fragrance and inspecting the texture, and he throws his arms around the man in a tight, eager embrace. Terry's not sure if it's wholly good or bad, though. While that response is more than enough thanks and delightful as fuck, but it also makes his obligation to leave for work all the more agonizing.

Setting aside his desire, he gently pushes Edd away, offering to let him stay in the bathroom if he wants — to thoroughly enjoy his gift by enjoying a nice, relaxing bath. Edd agrees, excited to do just that. When Terry's ready to head out, he escorts Edd to the bathroom, leaving him with a quick peck on the cheek and a 'Happy Sixth of Valentine's' before locking him in.

He's on the schedule a bit longer today. It's no busier right now, but it would seem that Dave has taken a short leave of absence — somethin' about his mother getting sick or…dying? He's not sure. It's not exactly something that came up the last time they talked. All he knows is that it's got them all more hours to pass along, some of which have finally landed on him. As such, it's got him a couple of breaks and a lunch that he can spend retreating back to his trailer to check in on Edd…relaxing in his bath…all slippery and sudsy and — not a good time. Focus. He can enjoy those fantasies as a reality when he gets his break.

Or at least he _would_ , were it not for Mike's shitty attitude. As penance for his own 'attitude problem' as of late, he sends Terry to wash his shitty car — premium package on his own goddamn dime, naturally — instead of giving him a break. Fuckin' asshole…But, goddammit, he does it. As fuckin' stupid as it is he doesn't tell the bossman to kindly go fuck himself the way he _wants_ to. He's on thin ice at the moment. If he wants to get back into some semblance of Mike's good graces — and thereby keep the heat off of himself — he needs to toe the line and obey. Play the part of the obedient worker and de-stress later tonight.

As Terry sits in the car, watching the suds and the long tendril scrubbers batter against the windows, he wonders if that's even possible — to properly de-stress and relieve his frustrations. The best remedy for stress that _he's_ aware of is off the fuckin' table and will continue to be for another week. But…maybe Edd will take pity on him early? He's been surprisingly more docile since that whole incident with the harp. More willing to return and even offer a little affection? Perhaps he could coerce his sweetheart into a bit of tenderness? Even if it's just passionate, wonderful kissing. Kissing that could evolve so naturally and easily with rocking hips and lustful moans. Even if he can't actually fuck his stress away, maybe he can at still get off?

He's jolted from that fantasy by a knock on the window. The employee of the car wash is glaring at him and yelling incoherently; apparently hella irritated that he's be sitting there idle for as long as he was. With a sigh, he starts the car and peels out while flipping the bird back at the prick, heading back to the park to return to his boring-ass shift.

When he does finally get his lunch, he returns with a bag of burgers for himself and for Edd and leaves them in the bedroom before checking in on Edd in the bathroom. He finds his little prize dressed in his jersey and dozing on the floor, looking content as fuck. Not to mention the lovely fragrance still clinging to the air. Opening his eyes, Edd offers him a warm smile as he sits up.

"You're back…" he mumbles, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah, sorry…" Terry mumbles, "Woulda been home sooner, but my boss is bein' a real dick. Ya have a nice bath, at least?"

Edd nods; "It was lovely."

"Hungry?"

Again, Edd nods, pushing himself to his feet. Perhaps due to his languid state, Edd takes his hand, leaning against his arm as they walk. He nuzzles Terry's arm, sighing softly in his contentment. Okay…Yes. Uh…good. Seems he really _is_ getting somewhere?

Edd makes a beeline for the bed when they reenter the bedroom, crawling onto the mattress and curling up with his cuttlefish. As he closes his eyes, ready to drift off to sleep, Terry sits beside him, nudging him a bit.

"Hey," he chides, "I thought you were hungry."

Edd groans, brushing his hand away. He doesn't say much more, instead nuzzling back into his comfortable spot. Terry makes to rouse him again, only to give pause. Edd looks damn cozy right now. So goddamn precious. He can't bear to disturb his little angel again. With a sigh, he grabs his own food from the bag and places a quick kiss to Edd's cheek, leaving his Sleeping Beauty to his dreams.

Back out into the park, he lets the image of his sleepy little Princess carry him through the continuation of his shift. It's certainly better than putting too much focus on the park guests. Motherfuckers tryin' to talk his ear off and bitch about this or that. Mike's busying himself with a delivery of a fuck ton of fireworks, too. Why the hell he wanted to get that shit so goddamn early, he's not sure. Hell, why that fucker thinks they should be putting on a fireworks display on Valentine's Day at all is fuckin' beyond him.

"Bitches love that romantic shit," Mike had told him with a shrug, "They'll come out for the big day and stay late for the show."

Right…Guess he can't argue with that 'winning logic'. Oh well, it keeps Mike busy and leaves him to get through his shift as painlessly as possible. Back to the trailer during his last break, he finds Edd awake and finishing up his meal. Shit, was he sleeping _that_ long?

"You're back…" Edd murmurs, swallowing his last bite.

"Not for long," Terry sighs, sitting beside him on the bed, "It's my last break. Just got a couple hours to go."

Bowing his head, Edd shifts a bit.

"I'm…sorry I didn't eat with you earlier…" he mumbles.

Terry shoots him a suspicious look before grinning.

"Were ya missin' me, sweetheart?"

Hunching his shoulders, Edd blushes and brushes his hair behind his ear.

"I just…" he stutters, "It was rude of me…to fall asleep like that. Particularly after you brought me lunch and…after all the trouble you've gone to for this Valentine's gesture…"

Terry scoffs, leaning over to cup Edd's cheek.

"Don't have to apologize, Princess," he purrs, "You looked so cozy n' sweet. Just couldn't wake you up."

Rolling his eyes a bit, Edd brushes his hand away.

"Quite amusing…" he mumbles, "How has your day been, by the way? You said something earlier about your employer being bothersome?"

"My boss, yeah," Terry scoffs back, "He's bein' a real dick today. Fucker made me wash his car for sleepin' in the other day."

"He made you _wash his car?!_ " Edd echoes, wide-eyed, "Is that something he can even ask of his employees? I don't imagine that's listed in your job description?"

"Nah," Terry shrugs, "But I'm not…exactly in a place to argue right now."

"Did oversleeping really get you into that much trouble?"

"Eh…among other things," Terry starts idly stroking Edd's hair, "It's fine. I still get to come home to you, after all."

Edd bows his head, offering a shy smile; "What a consolation that is…"

"Damn straight," Terry purrs, leaning over to kiss his temple, "Makes all that shit worth it."

Casting Terry a shy look, Edd leans into the gentle touch. Yeah, it's not sex or even an intense session of kissing until completion, but Terry admits that this is turning out to be a fairly effective de-stressor. And he'll sure as shit take it.


	48. Ch 47 - Coming up Bro

Hard to believe a whole week has passed since he began this Valentines thing. As Terry prepares for his shift, he decides to save today's present for this evening. Though Edd would likely want them as soon as possible, he imagines getting the pajamas right before bed — after a nice, soothing shower, of course — will get the best reaction out of him.

Therefore, when he's ready to go and after giving Edd a nice breakfast, he leaves him with little more than a peck on the cheek and a murmured goodbye. He considers, briefly, bringing the harp into the room so Edd can practice if he wants while he's gone, but his delicate little fingers are still so fucking tender. Too raw still to be put through the vigorous exercise of plucking those tightly-wound strings. So he'll have to settle with his books for now. He can only hope the kid doesn't mind too much.

But…maybe he does?

Throughout the day, when he returns for his breaks, he finds Edd a bit restless. Always looking just past Terry and craning his neck to see around him, but never outright saying whatever the fuck it is he's thinking as he morosely asks how Terry's day is going. When he comes home at the end of his shift with a shower on his mind, however, he finally gets an explanation.

"Do you…have anything for me?" Edd asks, his cheeks a light pink as Terry grabs his robe.

Terry regards him suspiciously, before realizing he hadn't actually mentioned anything about today's gift. He casts the boy a smug grin.

"Lookit you…" he snickers, "Gettin' all greedy with yer presents."

Edd's faint blush intensifies to a burning red as he crosses his arms indignantly.

"Y-You claimed it'd be for two weeks," he retorts, "I-I was just curious as to whether or not you were planning on staying true to your word for once. That's all."

Still chuckling, Terry nods to the door.

"I'm gettin' a shower first," he explains, "After that, I'll give it to you." He shoots the boy a knowing look. "Unless you want a bath too?"

That does the trick. Edd relaxes his tense shoulders and gives him a nod. Satisfied, Terry has Edd wait for him during his shower — giving him the option of _not_ bathing with him for a change, which Edd gladly takes. During Edd's turn, he discards the jersey and lounge pants the kid's been wearing and leaves to retrieve the pajamas. He made sure to wrap up the pack of underwear as well, knowing that Edd wouldn't want to wear these new pjs without them.

Back in the bathroom, he finds Edd out of the shower with a towel around his waist as he searches around for his meager coverings. Unable to contain his smug grin, Terry hands him the present, delighting in the adorable little smile it gets him as Edd graciously it. The reveal itself earns him an audible gasp as Edd sets the box down on the toilet seat lid to inspect the gift thoroughly. Lifting the pajama bottoms and top one-by-one, he raves about the way they look and feel; complimenting the softness of the fabric and how nice the colors look together. The underwear, however, gets an even bigger reaction.

"Oh! Oh, thank you!" he cries, turning to Terry and hugging him tight around his middle, "Thank you so much!"

Terry would've expected to be somewhat surprised by this, but admits he probably shouldn't be. Sure, Edd's not had his own clothes in months, but his little germaphobe has, more importantly, not had _underwear_ of his own in months. Having to instead make due with borrowed undergarments that are too big for him — something he's without a doubt horribly uncomfortable with. It must be one helluva relief to suddenly have them after all this time. When he pulls away from the embrace, he glances up at the man with a shy look.

"May I…have a little privacy to dress myself?" he asks, his eyes drifting over to the clothes again as he holds his towel more tightly over his middle.

"Yeah, sure," Terry replies with a shrug as he turns to leave.

Well, 'no', really. His real answer would be a definitive 'no' so he could watch his little darling pull his clothes on oh-so tantalizingly. But he ultimately decides it's best to just let him get dressed alone. He can use that time to make them somethin' to eat. (Not to mention the delayed gratification of seeing his little Princess wearing that sexy, silky number.) He puts together somethin' easy — just a couple of sandwiches tonight. He's gotta save his money for an upcoming gift. _Ugh_. He's already dreading the total _that's_ gonna come to. And sure, he could've gotten something from the park for tonight, but Edd's been happier without eating that shit every day. So he deals with it.

" _How do I look?_ "

He turns, startled from having missed Edd entering the room, and finds he must restrain himself again. The clothes are a bit too big, but he's not swimming in them like he does with Terry's clothing. They're just large enough that he can grow into them, but seem to fit comfortably enough as is. And, by the big, happy smile on the kid's face, he's not bothered by the size issue. Terry grins back at him.

"Like the prettiest damn thing I've ever seen," he retorts smugly, delighting in the shy little tilt of the head as Edd brushes his hair behind his ear, "Now, c'mere so we can eat."

Edd practically skips over to his side — he's so goddamn giddy — and happily takes a seat at the table with him.

For the rest of the night, Edd gushes about how comfortable his new clothes are, thanking Terry again and again, with the occasional comment about how surprising it is that he'd actually present him with clothing (" _Particularly after all of my previous requests for them_ "). Even as they sit down to watch tv, all comfy and cozy on the couch, he murmurs his joy into the soft fabric of his cuttlefish, perhaps speaking a little more to himself than to Terry.

A nearly perfect night with a goddamn fairytale ending. It makes him regret his shift tomorrow. Okay, yeah, they have a slew of movies to watch when he comes home and that's gonna be hella sweet — gettin' all cuddly with Edd and maybe gettin' him in the mood to share a little affection — but it's fuckin' torture to have to wait till then! Fuckin' bullshit that he's gotta deal with obnoxious park guests too far up their own asses, instead of spending that time lounging around with Edd and listening to him go on for days about the ridiculous writing and hammy acting.

At least he can enjoy his night for now, though.

* * *

Sure enough, the next day pans out exactly as expected: a fuckin' torturous wait and an endless barrage of bullshit from the park's guests. At least Edd's content enough with spending his time in the bedroom for now, all comfortable and happy in his new pjs. Makes coming home for his breaks all the sweeter.

Before heading home at the end of the night, he makes sure to grab a jumbo bag of popcorn from the park to enjoy during their movies. After a quick shower, he goes to retrieve Edd, who's the midst of reading from one of his textbooks. Relieving him of his studies, Terry escorts him to the living room and presents him with the selection of films.

"Movies?" Edd asks, scanning the titles.

"Yeah," Terry shrugs back, "Romantic movie night. Don't that sound nice?"

Humming softly, Edd smiles a bit; "I suppose that might be fun." He holds up a box with the title 'The Devil's Bride'. "I guess we could start with this?"

"Yeah?" Terry asks, taking the tape from him to put in, "That a title that sticks out to ya?"

"A little," Edd shrugs, "It…kind've sounds like something Ed would've watched, to be honest. So it might be entertaining in it's…um…'quality'."

Ignoring the fact that Edd just brought up his idiot friend, Terry inserts the tape into the VCR. After retrieving the popcorn, they settle in. It doesn't take long for them to devolve into commentary about how bad the writing is and how stupid the characters and their actions are. Hearing Edd giggle between bites and deconstruct whatever scene they're currently on is infinitely more entertaining than anything that's actually on the screen.

They break for dinner after the second movie, 'Frozen Kiss' — some bullshit about a vapid white bitch finding love in the arctic…because why not? — and decide that they can possibly stomach one more before calling it a night. The exhaustion with all this cheese does at least get Edd feeling a little more cuddly, leaning on Terry's arm the longer the film drags on and the sleepier he gets.

Finally going to bed, he escorts his little darling by the hand. Edd crawls under the covers, pulling his cuttlefish into his arms as he settles against the mattress. Terry follows suit, pulling Edd a little closer as well as he covers them with the sheets. Before drifting off, Edd heaves a murmured 'thank you' for the enjoyable evening and offers a sweet little nuzzle on top of that. As Terry lets himself relax, he thinks about how much he's looking forward to his day off tomorrow. Granted, he's got a hell of an expense to put towards tomorrow's gift, but fuck it. He can sure as shit enjoy tonight's pleasantries without a goddamn care in the world and focus on how much Edd's going to fuckin' _love_ it.

* * *

Morning comes a bit sooner than he'd like and he reluctantly rises to get to work. Slipping out of bed, he manages to leave Edd sleeping comfortably as he exits the bedroom. He locks the door behind him in an effort to keep Edd from stumbling upon him setting this up. Grabbing his phone book, he finds himself a number for a nearby restaurant. Somethin' hella fancy.

As expected, some snooty piece of shit answers, asking if he'd like to make a reservation.

"Uh…no thanks," Terry retorts, "I'm actually wonderin' if I could place an order to pick up?"

" _Of course, sir,_ " Snooty replies, " _Would you perhaps like a run-thru of our specials?_ "

"I guess," Terry shrugs, "But if it helps, I'm lookin' for somethin' nice for a romantic dinner for two. Got any recommendations?"

" _Ah yes, we have a number of offerings for Valentine's Day if that's what you're wondering._ "

"Pretty much," Terry rubs his forehead, "Doesn't have to be too extravagant or anything, but definitely nice and with plenty of veggies."

" _Very good, sir,_ " Snooterson continues, " _Perhaps I could interest you in our garlic butter steak, perfectly seared and seasoned with the freshest herbs and spices._ "

 _Shit, that sounds hella good…_

" _We offer savory scalloped potatoes, and sautéed vegetables as a side, along with your choice of soup or salad appetizer._ "

"I like it," Terry grins, pleased that this is going to be as easy as it's turning out to be, "Y'mind givin' me an estimate on how much any of that'll cost?"

" _Well, depending on any specifics you may desire, that particular order for two will come to roughly one hundred dollars, sir._ "

Terry nearly drops the phone; "Why so fuckin' expensive?!"

McSnootyfuck clears his throat; " _Sir, we use only the_ _ **finest**_ _ingredients. As regrettable as you may find it, you are paying for quality._ "

"Yeah, fuck that," Terry scoffs, " _I_ can cook a goddamn steak. And spend _half that_ for all the extra shit on top of it." He holds the phone away from his ear, ready to hang up. "Thanks, but no thanks, fucker."

Without waiting for the inevitable 'well, I _never!_ ', Terry hangs up the phone and rubs his eyes. Great. Now he's gotta go to the store again. He should probably hit up the library too — fuckers must _love_ him by now — to see if he can't get himself a cookbook. At least then he'll have himself a good list of what ingredients he needs.

With a sigh, he pushes himself up from the table and retreats back to the bedroom. Edd's still resting comfortably, stirring only when Terry pulls open his dresser drawers to find some clothes for the day.

" _Do you have to work?_ " he hears the boy mumble.

"Nah," Terry retorts with a grin, "Just gotta run out and pick up a few things. Won't be long."

Edd hums in a tone that suggests he definitely heard Terry, but the words either aren't registering or he's too content to care. Seems he's still quite satisfied with lazing about in his comfy new pjs. Certainly a load off his mind, at least, to know that Edd's not going to be feeling terribly put out by him running an errand on his day off. After dressing, he also gathers up any books that need to be returned to the library and approaches Edd to bid him a silent farewell and a tender kiss to his forehead. It gets him a sweet little smile and another hum in response as Edd burrows back under the covers with his toy. The relief that response instills is almost overwhelming. That they've finally reached a point where Edd would be so comfortable and relaxed with him…That it's looking more and more like he only needs a bit more of a nudge to give himself completely to Terry and love him unconditionally…

The finish line is so _fucking_ close! By the end of this run, he has a feeling the deal will be sealed.

First stop; the library. He gets some obnoxious small talk thrown at him as he deposits his returns and as he approaches the counter again to check out a relatively simple cookbook. Of course, he's not looking for some complex recipe reserved for masters; just some simple instructions for a pleasant dinner. The recipe he chooses consists of strip steak with a baked potato — those scalloped potatoes sounded hella good, but bakin' 'em is just as tasty and way easier as far as he's concerned — pan-seared veggies, and some biscuits on the side. The biscuits, at least, he knows he can get in a can or somethin'. No real need to waste time and money making those from scratch if he can help it. He'd also like to make a nice dessert if possible.

To the grocery. He does his best to keep this trip short, going though his list quickly, yet carefully. Gathering the ingredients without deviating too much, double checking the ice cream to make sure it's lactose-free, then grabbing a couple of extras, such as candles for ambiance, sweet-smelling oils, a nice bottle of wine, and a bowl and ice cream scooper. The total makes his fuckin' head spin, being nearly _double_ what that asshole at the restaurant quoted him, but he tries to take solace in the fact that he's also getting a ton of extra shit to really set the mood and make everything romantic as fuck. And hey, Edd'll love this gesture a helluva lot more, right? Or…maybe he just doesn't want to admit that he should've just gone with the restaurant option rather than go through all this trouble. Either way. He's still relatively pleased with his purchase and expects a lovely night with Edd to make up for this horrific dent to his meager bank account.

He heads back to the trailer, relieved to be done with that for the day and excited to return to Edd. It's still a little early for dinner, but he does intend to give him a light lunch to tide him over for now. After that, they can spend the rest of their day relaxing together doing fuck all — just enjoying each other's company. Maybe a little tenderness and kisses shared over some bullshit tv show or one of Edd's books? That sweet little body cuddled against his own and muttering his own idea of sweet nothings. Shit, just being that damn close to him is a far cry from where they started. Reflecting on the strides he's made makes the whole thing worth all of the headaches, all the expenses, all the fighting. To see his little darling smile his way and not only tolerate his company, but welcome it…it's like a dream.

And he's finally making it a reality.

* * *

Around six, after a few hours of heavenly lounging about and back and forth during commercial breaks, Terry escorts Edd back to the bedroom, much to the boy's chagrin.

"But there's a fascinating nature documentary segment on insects and arachnids that's about to broadcast!" he protests, clinging to his cuttlefish with a pout as he stands in the doorway, "Might I _please_ watch it?"

"I'll tape it for ya," Terry retorts, rolling his eyes, "I gotta get to work on yer gift."

"What?" Edd gives him a suspicious look, "Haven't you had everything else ready before? What do you need to work on to give to me?"

"Ah!" Terry tuts, "No spoilin' the surprise. It shouldn't take me _that_ long. Maybe an hour or so. Just sit tight in here while I work, okay?"

Sighing, Edd's shoulders slump, but he offers a somber nod.

"Okay…" he murmurs.

With that, Terry closes the door and locks him in before retreating to the kitchen to get cookin', but not before taking a moment to set up the VCR. He's got a few blank VHS's in the cabinet to put this documentary thing on, thank goodness.

After setting the channel and starting the recording, he gets to work. He takes his time, following the instructions in the book where he's unfamiliar. The process is relatively simple, if not a little tedious, and after an hour he's got just about everything prepared. He's got the steaks cooked medium-rare and cut for presentation, paired with the pan-seared carrots and broccoli. The potatoes come out nice and hot and the biscuits baked to a lovely, light-golden brown. He took some time during the prep to also assemble the dessert — a hot fudge sundae with whipped cream and a cherry on top — which he stored in the freezer (sans the hot fudge on top) to reveal after dinner is had. The table is then set with the tall candles, his bottle of wine, and a glass of ice water for Edd. Satisfied with the spread, he turns out the main lights, leaving only the candles to illuminate the room and their meal.

All that's left is to retrieve his little guest of honor.

So, back to the bedroom he goes, finding Edd standing at the door when he opens it up. He backs away a bit, startled by Terry's return with a hint of embarrassment.

"M-My apologies…" he murmurs, tugging on his hair, "Something just…smelled so wonderful…I…I guess I was letting my curiosity get the better of me."

Terry shoots him a warm grin as he steps back a bit.

"No worries, sweetheart," he replies, gesturing for Edd to exit the room, "It's time for your present."

Edd gasps softly and walks out, clasping his hands to his chest. Before he can get too far, however, Terry covers his eyes.

"No spoilin' the surprise," he reminds him with a purr and a kiss to the top of his head.

Giggling a little in response, Edd allows Terry to lead him out to the kitchen. Stopping beside the table, Terry's simply unable to contain his excited grin as he raises his hands from Edd's eyes for the reveal. Another gasp as Edd takes in the elegant display before him.

"This all looks incredible!" he gawks, turning to Terry with wide eyes, "Did you…really make all this yourself?"

Though Terry has a feeling he should probably be incensed by that comment (given the insinuation that Edd doesn't seem to believe he _could_ do all this), he decides to play it off with a prideful grin as he crosses his arms.

"Sure did," he boasts, "Only the best for _my_ Princess."

Edd takes a seat, still gazing around the food before him excitedly.

"I almost don't want to touch anything!" he giggles, "It looks so perfect!"

"C'mon, sweetheart," Terry sits across from him, "It's yer ninth Valentine's present n' I expect you to enjoy it."

"I know…" Edd shrugs as he picks up his fork, "It just looks too good to eat…"

Terry watches him carefully, waiting with bated breath for him to take that first bite; raising a piece of the meat, dripping with the homemade garlic butter, to his lips. Eyes growing wide as a moan bursts forth that he covers his mouth to try to withhold as he chews. He can't say anything just yet, leaving Terry to worry about what that reaction means.

"So…?" he mutters, fiddling with his own fork, "How is it?"

Closing his eyes, Edd swallows the bite with a sigh.

"T-Très magnifique!" he coos, "It's delicious!"

Shit. He was definitely not expecting Edd to say…that.

He grips the fork even tighter in his shaking fist; "Since when did you know French?"

Edd doesn't answer as he takes a bite of the veggies next. Then the fluffy biscuits and creamy baked potato. When he finally glances back at Terry, he's grinning ear to ear.

"Everything is exquisite!" he breathes, lowering his fork for a reprieve.

Relaxing again, Terry smirks back at him.

"Well yeah…" he snickers, "I told ya, didn't I? Only the best for you."

Eyes back to his plate, Edd prods shyly at his food. Terry decides to start eating as well — he's gotta catch up, after all — but not before trying to return to the more important subject at hand.

"Okay, but seriously," he grumbles, loading his fork with steak and potato, "Since when can you speak French?"

Edd cocks his head to the side, looking as though he hadn't quite heard what he'd said for a moment before it seems to hit him.

"Oh…that…" he offers a sheepish laugh, "It's not like I'm fluent or anything. Mother and Father had me take a few French language classes shortly after we moved to Peach Creek, but it's been a while. I'm afraid I'm quite out of practice. I might know a few phrases, though."

"Oh yeah?" Terry purrs, resting his chin in his hand and leaning his elbow on the table, "Y'shoulda told me, Princess. I'd fuckin' _kill_ to hear you talk French at me."

"It's not _that_ impressive…"

"Who said anything about 'impressive'," Terry scoffs, "That shit's sexy as fuck is what it _is._ "

Blushing, Edd sighs a bit; "I should've guessed _that_ was your intent."

Grinning, Terry strokes his goatee; "What's French for…'Princess'?"

"It's…basically the same…" Edd grumbles back with a reluctant shrug.

"How 'bout 'I want you'?"

"I'm not sure…"

"'Darling'?"

"Can I…just eat, please?"

Terry grimaces, realizing he might be pushing it a little. He decides to try just one more.

"Okay, just one more," he promises, "How 'bout…'I love you more than goddamn anything'?"

That gets Edd rolling his eyes in response, but there's a hint of a grin creeping onto his face as well that belies any irritation he might be feeling.

"I certainly don't know how to translate your vulgarities," he replies, fidgeting a bit, "But…I suppose an equivalent might be…'Je t'aime tellemont'."

"Mm…say that again."

"You and I both know that's not necessary," Edd scoffs, his mirth mostly gone, "But…perhaps I can attempt to translate more for you later?"

"Oh, I'm holdin' you to that, beautiful."

Bowing his head, Edd focuses instead on his meal, trying to avoid making any further eye contact with the man across him. They finish their meal in silence, savoring every last bite. As Edd heaves a relaxed sigh, slumping into his seat and gazing down at his empty plate, Terry decides to implement the final phase of this little surprise.

"Don't get too comfy, darlin'," he purrs, drawing the boy's attention, "We still got dessert."

Edd whines a little, "I'm quite full as is!" He giggles a bit. "I don't know if I could possibly eat dessert as well!"

"Sure y'can," Terry tuts, rising from his chair, "You just sit tight while I get it for ya."

Out of the corner of his eye, he spots the boy sitting up. In spite of his claims, he's clearly interested in what Terry's about to present to him next. Withdrawing the sundae, he sets it on the counter to drizzle the hot fudge over the top before grabbing two spoons. As he sets the ice cream on the table, Edd gasps, any notion of having no room for ice cream slipping his mind.

"This looks heavenly!" he nearly squeals, sitting up and tucking his legs underneath him for a better angle on the dessert.

"Looks like ya got some room after all," Terry says with a wink as he grabs his chair.

He pulls it up to sit beside Edd — both to be closer to him and to better share their treat. No sooner does he place the spoon in Edd's hand does it disappear into the frozen delicacy, scooping out a perfect mixture of the ice cream, fudge, and whipped cream. Licking his lips, Edd takes a bite, before shivering a bit and making a face.

"Somethin' wrong?" Terry asks, taking his own bite.

Tastes fine as far as he's concerned.

"It tastes…odd…" Edd notes, "I can't quite place it, but it doesn't taste like normal ice cream from my recollection."

 _Doesn't taste like normal ice cream? Oh._

"Oh right," Terry chastises himself lightly under his breath, "Forgot to mention; it's lactose-free."

"Lactose-free?" Edd echoes, looking confused for a moment before he seems to understand, "Oh! Of course! Eddy mentioned something about lactose when we were fooled into believing you'd come home, but he didn't delve into any specifics. Are you lactose intolerant?"

"Little bit," Terry shrugs back, "I can handle cheese when it's on pizza n' burgers n' shit, but no milk and definitely no regular ice cream."

Edd offers him a shy little grin as he reaches for another scoop; "Well, at least you have this alternative? But, if I may…why ice cream for dessert if you can't normally eat it?"

"Cuz it sounded damn good," Terry answers, "And you aint had ice cream in months, so I figured you'd like it. Even…if it tastes a little funny to you."

Hunching his shoulders, Edd blushes and fidgets with his spoon.

"Well, perhaps that's merely my tastebuds familiarizing themselves with the sweetness again?" he offers, "I think the only sweet treats I've ingested lately have been jawbreakers and those chocolates you gave me, which are…very different by comparison. So…maybe that's it?"

Terry shrugs again, scooping up another spoonful for himself. He hadn't considered that Edd might dislike the taste of the ice cream. _Some fuckin' present…_ The evening feels fuckin' ruined now because of his own lack of judgement. Fuckin' _great_.

" _Did I say something wrong?_ "

Glancing beside him, he spots Edd gazing at him with a pout and his shoulders hunched. When their eyes meet, the boy looks away with a blush.

"It…wasn't my intent to insult you…" he mumbles, toying with the hem of his shirt, "I insist that it tastes wonderful — I just wasn't expecting it to be lactose-free. As good as it is, it's still a bit different than I was accustomed to. But that doesn't mean I don't still like it."

"Really?" Terry casts him a suspicious look.

"Of course!" Edd glances at him briefly, "This is the best meal I've had in ages! Even…before you brought me here." He pauses again, prodding the slowly melting treat with a tiny smile. "You've…done a lot of kind things for me in the past week. And…I appreciate it very much."

Well…that changes things a bit. Terry feels his look soften as he leans over to press a kiss to his temple. To his delight, Edd doesn't try to pull away, allowing Terry to card his fingers through his hair.

"I'm glad, sweetheart."

With that, he sits up a bit straighter to help Edd finish the dessert in a comfortable silence. Once the bowl is empty, they clear the table and deposit the dishes in the sink. He expects Edd to get right to work cleaning them, but it would seem he's just too sluggish to do so. Too sleepy from his meal to focus on any cleaning tonight. He does, however, mumble something about doing them first thing tomorrow morning as Terry blows out the candles.

No, tonight he's comfortable with just settling under the sheets with his cuttlefish and curling up against Terry's side. As he starts to fade, he continues his murmurings. Thanking Terry for the meal, how delicious everything was, how thoughtful he's been. He feels like he catches a few Frenchisms in there too? Maybe? Yes — he's going with yes.

He'll sleep damn well tonight.


	49. Ch 48 - Let Edd's Hair Down

" _Spa day?_ "

Terry nods as Edd gazes down at the bubbling water. The candlelight flickers and bounces off the surface of the water and the walls, making the shadows around them dance as boisterously as the rose petals bobbing excitedly in the tub.

"I mean, basically," Terry explains, walking to the other end of the bath to lean against the wall there, "It's no four-star hot tub, but I put together somethin' close enough. Got some fizzing shit that'll keep the water bubbling, candles for some nice mood lighting…"

"Rose petals?" Edd notes, a hint of mirth in his voice.

"Yeah, y'know," Terry shrugs stroking his goatee, "for…romance."

Edd's curious look softens to a serene smile; "It does look very nice…"

"Damn straight," Terry boasts, allowing that little boost to his ego, "I want you to have a nice, relaxing afternoon while I'm out."

"You have to work?"

"Yeah, but not long," Terry grumbles back, "Fuckin' bullshit slow season…Hours are hella scarce since there's still a chill in the air, so my boss is cuttin' left 'n right. Won't even be gettin' a break."

"How long will you be gone?"

"'Bout three hours," Terry guesses, "Plenty of time for you to enjoy yer lil bath here twice over if you want."

"I mean, I really shouldn't stay in _that_ long…" Edd chides, still smiling at him so sweetly., "but I'm sure it'll be heavenly for a fraction of that time, at least."

"You don't mind stayin' in here while I'm gone?" Terry asks, his brow cocked, "Cuz you know I can't let you out after I leave."

Bowing his head, Edd shrugs meekly; "I suppose I should be used to that at this point…It's fine. The gesture is quite thoughtful either way."

"Alright. If you wanna grab anything, g'head and do it now. I gotta get outta here."

With another shrug and a somewhat disappointed look, Edd retreats to the bedroom. Terry sighs in relief, dragging his fingers through his hair. Not the smoothest landing, but at least Edd's not complaining. Just gotta hope this good luck lasts.

Edd returns with one of his books and sets it down on the edge of the sink. When Terry's satisfied that Edd will be enjoying his gift for a while, he decides to head out. Leaving the remaining bath fizzies from the pack by the tub — Edd might _say_ he doesn't wanna stay in long, but who knows that he won't change his mind? — he departs with a lingering kiss to Edd's cheek and an affectionately murmured 'Happy Tenth of Valentines' into his temple.

* * *

His shift runs fairly smoothly (as most of these three or so hour spurts do), and he's glad to return with some dinner on the agenda. Entering the bathroom, he finds Edd at the tub, rinsing away the last of the sudsy residue.

"As relaxing as these were," Edd explains, rising to his feet with the near-empty package of fizzies in hand, "They unfortunately left quite a mess…"

"Oh…sorry?" Terry gives him an uncertain look.

"Oh, no!" Edd stutters back, "It was absolutely wonderful. It just required more effort than I would've anticipated to clean up after the bath."

Terry offers a hum in response as he surveys the rest of the bathroom, which Edd also appeared to have taken some time tidying.

"Well, glad you enjoyed yerself," he replies after a moment, "Seems like you probably worked up a helluvan appetite? You want somethin' to eat? I'll make ya a salad?"

"Yes, please," Edd answers with a smile, eagerly joining his side and following him from the bathroom.

* * *

The following day, as he's preparing for his next short-ass shift, Terry's interrupted by the phone ringing. Upon answering, he's given some shitty news.

"The fuck d'you _mean_ 'cut'?!" he demands into the receiver.

" _What can I say, man_?" Mike replies with what Terry can tell by his tone is a half-hearted shrug, " _Slow days lately. Gotta cut back._ "

"This is fuckin' bullshit," Terry grumbles, "Can't you cut somebody else? I need the money."

" _Fuck no_ ," Mike scoffs back, " _I gave you the shortest shift today. Yours is the easiest to cut._ "

"I repeat; that's fuckin' bullshit."

" _Too bad. And maybe stow that 'tude before I cut you tomorrow as well._ "

With that, Mike hangs up, leaving Terry with a pit in his stomach. Though he can give Edd today's gift _now_ rather than later, he's frustrated by his next check being absolute shit. Thank fuck he's got the next few gifts covered already. Won't have to go buy anything else. Hopefully Edd can deal with sandwiches and shit from the park for a little while…

Putting it out of his mind, he sets the phone down and grabs the music player and his records from the hall closet. Today's gift is going to require a bit of mood music to really get the kid feelin' relaxed and happy. Not to mention presenting the music to him will hopefully make him more compliant with what he's got in mind.

Returning to the bedroom, he shows the albums off with a grin.

"You ready for your next present?" he asks slyly.

Edd sits up straight on the bed, letting his cuttlefish roll to the side so he can look over the records; "Oh, this is that singer you talked about before right?" He looks up at Terry with a wondrous look. "You're giving them to me?"

"Not exactly," Terry explains, setting up the music player on the stool, "But they _are_ part of it."

"Part of what?"

Picking up one of the albums, Terry removes the vinyl from its sleeve, "Y'know how yesterday you had a lil spa day with that bath?"

"Yes…?"

"Well," he carefully sets the record into the player and moves the needle into place; "today, we're basically gonna continue that with another spa 'activity'."

Edd doesn't answer right away as the music begins. Terry keeps it low for now so they can talk and he can convince Edd to let him proceed.

" _Like what?_ "

Standing straight, he turns back to Edd with a grin.

"Today, I'm gonna give you a nice, soothing massage."

The little blush that spreads over Edd's cheeks is so fuckin' precious. He fidgets uncomfortably, wringing his hands together and furrowing his brow.

"I…don't know…"

"C'mon, Princess," Terry purrs, taking one of those delicate little hands into his own as he leans in to speak into his ear, "Don't that sound nice? A massage to really get you feelin' all relaxed n' pampered? Don't you _deserve_ to be pampered a little?"

He can feel the kid tense up again, but with a tilt of the head as he seems to be considering it.

"Just…a massage?" he stresses, backing away from him a little to look up at him, "N-Nothing else?"

"Course not," Terry smirks back, "I told you. None of _that_ till after Valentine's Day…the fourteenth, that is."

Edd's eyes drift away from him in his contemplation before he nods shyly.

"Okay…" that cute little smile comes back, "I…suppose that might be nice."

Pleased, Terry gives him a quick peck on the cheek and stands straight again.

"Lemme grab a few more things and then we'll get started."

Before reaching the door, Edd stops him; " _W-Wait!_ " He turns back to him, finding the boy to be giving him a curious look. "Now? I thought you had to work today?"

"Not anymore," he shrugs back, hoping he doesn't sound as bitter as he is, "Got the day off. So now you get to have your present early."

Without waiting for anything more, he exits the room in search of the oils. He definitely left them in the bags with the groceries from the other day, right? Uh…yes! Hiding in the bag with a few straggling candles are the oils in question. Shit, he should bring the candles too, actually. The ones from the bathroom as well. Grabbing the bag, he makes a stop by the bathroom to do just that and also snag a couple of towels, and then it's back to the bedroom.

Edd's looking over one of the other albums when he walks in, but seems to abandon his interest in them in favor of what all Terry's holding.

"Shall I assist?"

Terry glances at him, surprised he'd be so excited for something he'd been so anxious over mere moments ago. Or is _still_ anxious over? He's fidgeting impatiently and looks as though he just wants to do _something_ other than wait. With a shrug, he hands him one of the towels.

"Here," he replies, "Make the bed a little bit and lay this out over the covers."

With a dutiful nod, Edd accepts the towel and rises to follow his instructions as Terry begins setting up the candles in available spots around the room. A couple on the bedside table, the dresser, a few around the floor — away from the foam, of course. When it's all set up and the candles have been lit, he turns to Edd, who's looking more shy than ever as he stands beside the bed; made up all neat with the towel spread out.

"Alright, sweetheart," he begins, drawing the boy's attention again, "G'head and take yer clothes off."

"I'm sorry, what?" Edd squeaks back, clasping the pajama top more closed over his chest.

"Take your clothes off," Terry repeats more clearly, "I'm usin' some fancy oils n' I don't wanna get it on your new clothes."

"I…don't know if I'm comfortable with _that…_ "

Terry tosses the other towel onto the bed; "That's why I brought _that._ You can wear that around your waist, but I need you to lay out on your stomach on the other towel."

Edd still looks incredibly apprehensive about that, but gives a reluctant nod. Turning away from Terry, he unbuttons and removes his top before carefully folding it and setting it aside. He's definitely more reluctant to remove his pants and underwear, but he does so with the same meticulousness as with the shirt before quickly wrapping the towel around his waist. After an untrusting glance in Terry's direction, he awkwardly crawls onto the bed and sits down on the towel. Shyly drawing his knees together and trying to ensure the towel is covering him properly, he begins whining pitifully as he gives Terry a meek look; begging him to let that be enough. In response, Terry tries to keep his tone even.

"I said on your stomach," he reminds him as he rolls up his sleeves, "It's a back massage, sweetheart."

Glancing back at the mattress below him, Edd whines again before reluctantly following the command; turning and laying flat on his stomach. He uncomfortably readjusts his towel, making pitiful little noises of protest and shamefully burying his face in his hands when he feels he's somewhat settled enough. Rolling his eyes, Terry flips the lights off, letting the candles light the room, and grabs the bottle of oil. Before anything else, he turns the music up a little to really set the mood.

As Terry mounts the bed to straddle the slender waist — remaining mostly on his knees to keep his weight off the little body — Edd tenses considerably, gripping the sheets in his fists.

"I-Is this really—"

"Yes," Terry interrupts, rubbing some of the oil onto his hands, "It'll give me a better angle to work out any tension you've got."

That certainly doesn't calm him down, making the tension that much worse. With a sigh, Terry tries his damnedest to cast aside his frustration. After all, it makes sense that Edd would be wary of this situation; being naked and so terribly vulnerable beneath him…He shudders, shaking that thought off to focus on the task at hand.

"Alright, Princess," he breathes, "Just let me know if it hurts."

He begins by spreading the oil across the expanse of Edd's back. Edd flinches at first against his touch, but the warmth of the oil and gentle pressure Terry's using helps to soothe him again. Terry spends a good deal of time doing this, acclimating Edd to the sensation.

Then he starts working out the knots he finds with his thumbs.

Edd responds with weak little whimpers and low moans that peter out with a sigh with each release of knotted tension. _Shit…maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all…_ The sensual noises his little darling lets slip past his perfect lips…Those sexy little gasps and moans. Terry grits his teeth, breathing slow and forcing himself to focus on the massage to avoid the arousal that's threatening to consume him. At least it seems to be paying off. The longer this goes on, the more and more Edd seems to be relaxing. Hands no longer covering his face, but instead folded under his head. His eyes closed and an adorable smile across his lips. Lookin' prettier than ever.

When he feels the final knot relax, drawing forth a relieved sigh and Edd's body going completely lax, Terry drags his hands down Edd's back and gives his hips a little squeeze. He leans forward to kiss a trail along Edd's shoulder and neck to his ear.

"Feelin' good, Princess?" he breathes, nuzzling him affectionately.

Edd nods back, his eyes still closed and the blissful smile never leaving his face. Pleased, Terry presses his hands to the mattress to push himself up and off of the boy to let him sit up. Instead, to his slight dismay, Edd rolls over onto his back, arching a little as he stretches languidly. The towel he'd been wearing to cover his genitals is jostled, but manages to just barely conceal his little cock. _Goddammit…_

Licking his lips, Terry leans down over him, startling him a bit as he caresses the slender hip and as he nuzzles and kisses along his neck. Seems like the massage did the trick, as Edd is more tickled by the gesture than anything. With a blissful sigh into Edd's warm skin, Terry pulls the boy close, effectively covering him as his jacket falls over him. And oh…is this heaven? That his little darling would not only choose not to resist him, but also lean into his embrace? Surely it must be! Fuck his previous concerns. This was _hella_ worth it.

Nuzzling his cheek again, he mutters softly to him; "Well, Princess; we still got the rest of the day to do whatever we want. Any requests?"

Edd's shoulders offer the tiniest shrug as he gazes up at him wearily.

"Can you play something for me?"

"Don't like Nana?" Terry asks, cocking his brow.

Another little shrug; "I'd like to hear _you_ play."

With a warm grin, Terry leans in to give him a quick peck on the cheek as he rises to retrieve the harp and move the music player off the stool. As he sets up, he notices Edd slipping under the covers and discarding his towel, apparently too relaxed to bother dressing himself again. He lays back, smiling up at Terry as he sits in front of the harp.

"Y'know, you can probably start practicing again if you wanted to," he informs the boy, "Your fingers should have healed enough by now." He casts him a playful look. "Not that you _have to_ , of course."

Edd nods; "I think I'd like that…but maybe tomorrow?"

Terry returns the affirmative gesture as he turns back to the instrument.

"Whatever you want, sweetheart," he replies, placing his fingers on the strings.

* * *

Three more days…Leaving Edd with the harp and the explicit instructions to only practice for an hour _at most,_ Terry heads into work with an anxious feeling in his stomach. Today's gift is a risky one, but, if Edd gives him a chance, it surely won't be _that_ bad. Surely Edd will like it if he just…goes with it…right?

Wishful thinking, clearly…

Near the end of his shift, he spots Mike and approaches him.

"Hey, man," he greets warily, "I still got Valentine's Day off, right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Mike rolls his eyes, "Y'know, for someone bitching about how much he needs the money, you sure as shit don't mind requesting a day off?"

"I got plans," Terry shrugs, "As much as I need the money, I also got shit to do."

"Whatever you say…" Mike grumbles, strongly hinting for that to be the end of the conversation.

His shift winds to a close and Terry heads home. Before anything else, he hops in the shower — he'll definitely want to be nice n' clean for this. After, he retrieves Edd for a nice dinner. Nothin' fancy. He's gotta work with what little he has. In this case; spaghetti — a classic and a personal favorite of Edd's (that…he's aware of). Over their meal, Terry rehearses what he should say in his head, but finds himself coming up short. This isn't exactly something he expects a good reaction from no matter _how_ he presents it. Just gotta wing it.

As they wash the dishes — per Edd's request, of course — Edd reveals that his contemplation seems to have been written all over his face.

"Is something the matter?" he asks , peeking at him out of the corner of his eye, "You're rarely this quiet…"

Well, no time like the present…

"No, nothin's wrong," Terry replies, setting the last plate in the rack to dry, "Just thinkin' about yer present for today."

"Oh?"

"Yeah…" Terry turns to the table and jabs his thumb towards it, "Take a seat, will ya?"

Brow furrowed, Edd obeys, sitting back down at the cleared table. Terry soon joins him, pulling up a chair to sit beside him. He turns his chair to face Edd, which the boy mirrors after a moment. Once they're seated, Terry pauses, choosing his words as carefully as he can.

"Today's present is a little different than all the others," he begins, "but it's kinda like yer massage yesterday."

"That sounds nice…" Edd offers with a smile, before pouting again, "Though, I suspect there's something further?"

Terry avoids looking at him. He hadn't expected this to be so fuckin' hard. It's not like he feels any shame saying this shit. A few months ago, he would've said it without hesitation. But Edd's proven to be far too delicate for such vulgarities and convincing him of this will be hard enough without upsetting him with his goddamn wording. With a sigh, he decides to just get it out.

"I want to make you feel that good and relaxed again," he continues, "In the form of foreplay."

A look flashes over Edd's face to indicate that he has an idea about what Terry's referring to, but that he's maybe not totally sure.

"What…might that entail?" he asks after a moment, rubbing his arm self-consciously.

"Do you know what that word means?" Terry asks, his brow cocked, "'Foreplay'?"

Edd averts his gaze with a blush; "I have an idea…and I don't…think I like it."

"Hear me out," Terry sighs, dragging his hand down his face and stroking his goatee, "All I wanna do…is pleasure you until you cum."

That blush burns a deeper red; "I-I thought you said—"

"I said 'I wasn't gonna fuck you'," Terry corrects, "I didn't say shit about kissing or touching or giving you sexual pleasure."

"I don't know…" Edd mumbles, curling further in on himself, "It's so humiliating…How do I know you won't use this as an excuse to get more out of me?"

"This isn't about _me_ ," Terry retorts, "It's about making you feel good. I ain't gonna take it any further and I'm not tryin' to humiliate you. This is your present. If you don't want it, that's fine, but I don't have anything else today. This was it."

Shoulders slumping, Edd bows his head with a pout. Dammit…Fuckin' _dammit!_ He knew this was a bad idea. But fuck if he didn't want to try. Fuck if he didn't want to give Edd a gift that might make him a little more comfortable with sexual acts in the future. Edd's admitted before that he liked the foreplay that they'd engage in. Surely a whole night devoted to nothing but that would be heavenly for him, right?

It feels like an eternity before Edd speaks again. Terry decides not to push him, half-expecting him to finally give him the negative reply he's waiting for.

"You…really promise you won't go too far?"

Terry snaps his attention up at Edd, who's still looking away ashamedly.

"Of course I won't," he replies, leaning forward a little and lowering his voice, "And if you want me to stop, I will."

Finally, Edd looks back up at him. His eyes reflect his uncertainty, but there's a tiny hint of curiosity there too. Biting his lip, he gives him a shy nod.

"Okay…"

Relieved, Terry gives him a relaxed grin and gently takes his hand. He escorts Edd back to the bedroom, stopping just a moment as they pass the bathroom as Edd tugs on his sleeve.

"M-May I take a shower first?" he hisses, desperation in his eyes.

"Well…yeah, sure?" Terry shrugs, nodding to the bathroom.

With a shuddering sigh of relief, Edd abandons Terry in the hall and locks himself in the bathroom. It takes some time, but the pipes soon groan and whine, indicating that Edd's begun his bath. _Kay then…_ Shrugging, Terry returns to the bedroom, taking the time to light the dwindling candles again to set the mood. He chooses another Mouskouri album and sets up the record player as well. The ambiance should definitely help — worked yesterday at least. He decides he should probably keep his own clothes on.

Edd's in the bathroom for a while, he regrets to note, and he walks out to check on him after nearly twenty minutes have passed. Sure, his little germaphobe tends to take his time in his routines, but it shouldn't take _that_ long to get a quick shower in, right? He knocks on the door, listening as closely as he can. The water's stopped running, but he knows he won't be able to hear anything past the foam.

"Princess?" he calls gently, "Everything okay?"

A long pause. He begins to feel a new anxiousness settle. Had Edd slipped away while he was waiting around in the bedroom? Had he scared the kid away again? Just as he starts to reach into his pocket for his keys, he hears the door unlock. It opens just a crack and Edd peers out at him, his face quite red. His hair is damp, but not dripping and he's dressed again, indicating he did indeed get his shower, but that he might've been stalling for a little while.

"Y'alright, Princess?" Terry asks, leaning against the door frame, "I told you, you don't _have_ to do this if you don't want to."

Edd shrugs; "I'm just…nervous…"

"You said you liked it before," Terry points out, "How good I'd make you feel before we got to the 'main event'."

"I…I did, but…" Edd gulps shyly, "It's…embarrassing."

"Doesn't have to be. I ain't tryin' to make you feel embarrassed."

Edd still doesn't look to be terribly comforted by that, but he doesn't seem to have any other protests in mind to voice. With a deep breath, he opens the door further, allowing Terry to usher him out and back to the bedroom. The setup regrettably seems to be having the opposite effect that Terry intended, making Edd tense a little as he approaches the bed and takes a seat near the pillows.

 _Let's begin…_

Closing the door behind him, Terry joins Edd on the bed. He starts by taking one of Edd's little hands in his own and places a few kisses to his knuckles, hoping to draw him out of his little shell slow and steady. Edd uncurls just a bit, allowing Terry to gently pull him towards him and into his lap; still kissing along his knuckles and rubbing them against his cheek. Edd gazes up at him, and Terry returns his look with one of longing as he cups the boy's cheek with his free hand, stroking the soft, warm flesh with his thumb.

From there, he begins with tender kisses to his lips, cradling Edd comfortably in his arms. Tongues dancing and eliciting little whimpers from Edd and deep, desperate moans from Terry. They part with a smacking of their lips and labored breathing as Terry trails chaste little kisses along Edd's cheek, down the familiar path to his neck, where he lingers to litter his beloved's flesh with love bites. He's careful to leave these marks low enough that they'll be covered by a shirt, but dark enough to create a stern reminder of his affections. Slipping his hands down, he starts rubbing little circles into Edd's hips, nosing his neck and sighing deeply.

"So fuckin' beautiful…" he breathes, closing his eyes to enjoy the sensation of Edd's skin against his lips.

Edd whimpers back, his fingers curling into fists against Terry's arms.

"You don't have to patronize me on top of all this…" he mumbles.

Terry hums, nuzzling him; "Ain't patronizin' nothin'." He pulls Edd a little tighter against him. "You're the prettiest goddamn thing I've ever laid my eyes on."

Ignoring any further protests, Terry begins unbuttoning Edd's top to slide it off of the slender torso with a moan and a distracting kiss. Though he'd love to cradle Edd in his lap all goddamn night, kissing him and muttering his sweet-nothings, he decides to move on and lay the boy back on the mattress. Moving lower down Edd's chest, he makes a bold move by wrapping his lips around one of his nipples. Edd yelps in surprise, his hands slapping down over Terry's shoulders. In response, Terry goes back to stroking Edd's hips in little circles, hoping to calm him down again so he can continue his ministrations. It seems to help a little, as Edd doesn't try to push him away, but he does continue to grip and claw at the man's shoulders with each lick and suck.

After giving both nipples the same treatment and leaving them hard and slick, he continues his travels down Edd's chest. By now, he's started pushing Edd's pants and underwear down his slender legs. He tickles the boy's navel a bit with feather-light kisses before finally reaching his semi-erect dick. Seems his little darling is indeed enjoying this. Good. Hoisting Edd's legs over his shoulders, he engulfs the boy's cock into his mouth.

The sudden action gets another yelp out of the boy and he feels those little claws digging into his scalp. No worries. It'll start to feel damn good here in just a moment. He moans around the hardening flesh, sending a wave of pleasure up Edd's spine and making him arch his back. Hard little heels press lightly against his back and roll as his body is too overcome with desire to relax again. As he licks and suckles the boy's cock, he presses his fingers into Edd's lower back, enjoying the delightful moans that gets him. Edd tries to stifle them, though, drawing him to pause just a moment to glance up at him.

"C'mon, moan for me, sweetheart," he begs softly, "No need to be shy. I wanna hear how good you feel."

Giving him a pitiful look, Edd shyly nods, permitting Terry to return his attention to sucking the boy off. As he does, Edd begins to shyly acquiesce, moaning his name and allowing himself to get a little louder than before. He eventually starts rocking his hips, digging his fingers even harder into his hair.

It's not long at all before he reaches his orgasm, back arching and heels pressing painfully into Terry's back as the pleasure takes him. Not that Terry is at all bothered by this. It's just proof that his Princess enjoyed himself. And that's all that matters.

As he comes down from his orgasm, Edd releases a shaky sigh and his body goes limp as he lies in the afterglow. Terry pulls away, swallowing the ejaculate and allowing Edd's legs to slip off his shoulders to rest on the bed. Fucking perfect. His Princess looks so relaxed after that! Surely that means he's happy — that his gift was a success! Settling in beside him, he kisses the boy's cheek and cradles him close. And that's when he starts to hear it.

" _Filthy…Filthy…Filthy…_ "

Dammit, not _that_ again…

"C'mon, Princess," Terry sighs softly, pressing his nose to the boy's temple, "Why do you have to keep actin' like it's such a bad thing?"

"It's embarrassing…" Edd repeats, "That I would allow myself to succumb to such carnal desires as that…I'm deplorable…"

"No you're not," Terry argues, "It's natural to let yourself enjoy it."

Edd keeps mumbling his self-deprecating statements, ignoring Terry's attempts. Shit…if Edd reacts like this to a simple fuckin' bowjob, how the hell is he going to keep this up after Valentine's Day? How are they going to continue this relationship past the paternal nonsense he's been entertaining? As he watches Edd roll onto his side and curl up, he begins to seriously reconsider what's to come.

* * *

The penultimate day. Terry gets ready to head into work as normal, doing his best to ignore the nerves gnawing at him. Edd's going to love this gift and definitely the news he's going to share for tomorrow, but that doesn't ease his worry about how that'll all actually play out. Still, best he should just get on with it. He should give Edd the shoes now anyway — to make sure they fit and still have time to trade sizes if they don't.

And so he does.

Grabbing the wrapped gift from the hall closet, he pushes aside their breakfast plates and sets the package on the kitchen table in front of Edd.

"Happy 'Day Before Valentine's'," he states, placing a kiss to Edd's temple.

Grinning excitedly, Edd sits up to begin removing the paper.

"So, you _did_ have another 'normal' gift?" he teases, carefully peeling the paper away.

"I never said I didn't," Terry corrects, "I said I didn't have anything else for _yesterday._ "

"Semantics…" Edd scoffs, opening the box beneath the paper.

Terry had organized everything carefully for Edd to pull out in a specific order. Therefore, it's no surprise to him when Edd begins by removing the hooded dress.

"More clothes!" he gasps, grinning excitedly, "Oh, thank you so much!" He holds the article over his torso, admiring how it looks on him. "This is such a nice shirt, too! I love it!"

Thank god; he misinterpreted it as a shirt. That's good. Probably for the best, even. Next come the pants.

"Pant's too?" he giggles, shooting the man a sly look, "I must say, I'm not sure I would've expected as much from you."

Cute little jab? He's feeling playful. That's real good. As he removes the pack of socks next, his mirthful look fades to some confusion.

"Socks?"

Setting them aside, he looks into the box to retrieve the final item; the shoes. Turning to Terry, he gives him an uncertain look.

"Try them on," Terry commands, hoping it sounds more like a request.

Still confused, Edd retrieves a pair of socks from the bag and pulls them on and then the shoes, tying them tight. Terry kneels down before him, pressing his thumb into the tip of the shoe to feel for Edd's toes. There's a pretty big space between them and the end of the shoe, drawing him to glance back up at the boy.

"Walk around for me, will ya?" he instructs, "And let me know if they feel comfortable."

Edd gives him a frustrated look — clearly having expected an answer for his confusion and not more commands — but obeys, walking the length of the hallway and back.

"They're a little big," he confirms, "But they're comfortable enough to walk around in."

"Good…" Terry sighs in relief, glad he won't have to make another run to the store.

"I don't understand…" Edd notes, shaking his head, "Why the shoes anyway?"

Rising to stand straight, Terry leans against the table just a bit.

"It's part of yer final present," he explains, bracing himself, "Tomorrow, I'm gonna take you out to the park."

Edd's jaw drops and it would seem he's unable to respond at the moment. So Terry proceeds.

"A full day of freedom," he continues, "Doin' whatever you wanna do. Ride the rides, play the games — anything."

"R…Really?" Edd breathes, bringing his hands towards his lips as though to cover his mouth, "Y-You really mean it?"

Terry nods, hoping he doesn't look as sick as this whole notion makes him feel. Eyes welling with tears, Edd leaps at the man, throwing his arms around Terry's neck.

"Oh, thank you!" he cries, kissing the man's cheek, "Thank you so much!"

He releases his embrace moments later, settling back to the floor to start mumbling about what all they'll be able to do and how excited he is to feel the wind in his hair and the sun on his skin. Thoroughly gushing to himself and hugging his new clothes tight. As he watches the display for a moment, trying to remain mindful of the time, Terry just hopes he's making the right choice.


	50. Ch 49 - Paint the Town Edd

_Author's Note:_

 _I'm gonna try to keep this short — particularly after going on and on last time. I'll be including this in each subsequent chapter through the end of the fic — and deleting them off the chapter preceding the new one — because I realized the last time I made a note explaining this kinda thing, the message was lost after I eventually deleted it. So…as much as I really hate to do it, since I never wanted to put author's notes before any chapter unless necessary in this fic, I think it's important to keep these here. But again, I'll keep it brief. I've posted the original message with some edits in my profile. If you're still confused, go there or message me._

 _Basically, I'm not accepting anonymous reviews. I know that's frustrating and probably sounds really petty of me to do, but I'm done being unable to respond to people who don't seem to like this fic, yet continue to come back to it just to complain at me in a way that I'm unable to respond. Obviously, you can still submit them, but they won't be published. Frankly, if you really want to be anonymous and send me a review that will go up, head over to Archive of Our Own and find me there. My username is Scammy_chan and, at least on Ao3, I can still respond to your comments. It's not a complete shutdown of the conversation like it is here. Otherwise, I don't know what to tell you. I never claimed this would be a happy story by any means and I shouldn't have to explain my reasoning behind the decisions I make for this fic, particularly in the author's notes. If you're not enjoying it, don't force yourself to read it._

 _Okay, that's pretty much all I wanted to say here. I certainly don't discourage reviews. It's just that some of the anonymous ones I had been getting had nothing constructive to offer and I decided I didn't need to deal with it. Hope you can look past that and enjoy the fic for what it is._

* * *

It's past noon. Shit, he can't keep putting this off. They've got a full day ahead of them, after all. Not to mention Edd's getting antsy as fuck. Bustling about with a skip in his step. Humming a little tune as he washes the dishes. Occasionally asking about the rides available to them. He's never seen the kid this fuckin' excited. It does nothing to quell his nerves, though, and Terry still finds himself feeling uneasy about this venture. The sun tearing through the curtains at least assures it'll be a nice day. No rain to ruin the fireworks or drive them back inside. Maybe even slightly warmer temperatures than he might expect? _Small miracles, I guess…_ As Edd finishes the dishes, Terry approaches him with the finishing touch for his adorable little outfit.

"Got one more thing for ya before we head out, Princess," he announces, drawing the boy to look at him.

Casting the man a sweet smile, Edd sets the dishrag aside and rolls down the sleeves of his new shirt to give Terry his full attention. Allowing the wicked grin to stretch across his face, Terry holds the makeshift necklace up for him. The dog tag pendant twirls a bit as the velvet ribbon is pulled taut, but eventually settles to display its beloved title for the boy to see. Edd eyes the trinket with a hint of a blush over his cheeks, throwing a hesitant glance Terry's way.

Before he can say anything, Terry nods towards Edd's outfit; "It'll pull the whole thing together, don'tcha think?" When Edd still gazes at the necklace with a reluctant expression, he adds with a pout. "I know you hated the collar, but it looked so pretty on you…This wouldn't be as bad as that, would it?"

Taking that in, Edd offers him a more shy smile in response.

"I suppose it's a…nice gesture," he shrugs, toying with his sleeve near his shoulder, "And…at least a necklace isn't as 'restraining'."

Taking a breath, he reaches out to accept it, which Terry allows, before retreating to the bathroom. Edd putting it on is way better, as far as he's concerned. Feels less forceful. When he returns, necklace tied perfectly around his slender neck, Terry briefly forgets whatever the fuck he'd had on his mind for the day. _Were_ they doing something? Is that why his darling looks so fuckin' beautiful right now? Shit, how does breathing work again? Can't they just stay in? So he can spend their time admiring how pretty Edd looks like this and worshipping him?

" _Terry?_ "

Edd's sweet little voice and delicate hand pawing at his own draws him from his euphoria. Breathing becomes innate again, though almost painful as he forces himself to focus.

"Can we go now?" Edd asks, his brow furrowed.

Terry sighs a bit. _Might as well get on with it._

"Just gotta lay some ground rules first," he retorts, earning another pout from the boy, "And then we'll go. This is important."

That gets a sigh out of Edd, but he shrugs in understanding. Grimacing a bit, Terry covers his mouth as he thinks carefully.

"Okay…rule number one," he begins slowly, dragging his hand down his goatee, "You stay with me _all day_. From the second we step out of this trailer, to the second we walk back in — I don't want you goin' any farther than three steps away from me. Got that?"

Crossing his arms, Edd looks away with a glare; "Are you certain you'd rather not just put the leash back on me? Seems like it'd save you the trouble…"

"I don't need the sass, _Princess_ ," Terry grumbles, "This is a big deal and I need to know you're not gonna run off. And if you can't agree to even _that_ rule, then we ain't goin' at all. We'll just sit inside all day doin' fuck all. Do you understand?"

Shoulders slumping, Edd nods reluctantly, allowing Terry to continue.

"Good," he sighs again, "Rule number two, don't fuckin' talk to anyone unless I say so."

Edd shrugs, this time offering no protest past rolling his eyes.

"Finally, rule number three…" _He's not gonna like this one._ "If anyone asks, you're my sister."

"What?" Edd stutters, "Why _sister?_ "

"Cuz I know those fuckers," Terry scoffs back, "and I know they'll definitely think 'girl' lookin' at you _way_ before they ever assume 'boy'. So 'sister' is our best bet. Think you can handle that?"

Edd groans in disgust, but gives another reluctant nod; "I suppose if it's just for today…"

"Right…" Terry rolls his eyes, "So, as long as you agree to those rules, we'll g'head and go."

"Very well…" Edd mumbles, "I agree. Can we _please_ go now?"

"Yeah, yeah…"

With that, he ushers Edd towards the door. He should've guessed the kid would give him trouble today. Fingers fuckin' crossed this — _The fuck?_ A few steps from the door, he feels Edd tugging his wrist as he comes to a sudden stop. Eyes wide and body shaking ever-so slightly as he tenses. He reaches up and starts tugging on his hair a bit.

"The fuck's wrong with _you?_ " Terry sneers, "Weren't you _just_ begging me to leave?"

Tearing up, Edd starts mumbling to himself, too soft for Terry to hear.

"Speak up, Princess."

"My hat…" Edd whimpers, hand moving from his hair to cover the scar near his temple, "I-I can't be seen without it…I-I can't…"

Heaving a sigh of relief, Terry rubs his eyes.

"Is that all?" he breathes.

"What do you _mean_ 'is that all'?!" Edd snaps back.

"You didn't seem to care before about runnin' outside without it…Back in December?"

Edd glares at him, blushing fiercely; "That was different…This…Th-There'll be so many people…I-I can't let them see…"

"Why don'tcha just wear the hood, then?"

Startled, Edd stares blankly back at him before reaching for said hood over his shoulders. Blushing, he shyly pulls it up and over his head. Goddamnit. The way Edd's hair frames his face and pokes out around the opening of the hood makes him look even more adorable. Should _definitely_ be easy to convince any of his coworkers that he's a girl. After a slow, even breath to calm himself, Edd turns back to Terry.

"Ready now?" Terry asks, his brow cocked.

With a bashful nod, Edd takes the hand extended towards him as Terry opens the door to lead them from the trailer.

Stepping out into the bright sun, they head towards the rides, only for Edd to slow to a stop, shielding his eyes with a whine and pressing his face against Terry's arm. He's shivering again and breathing heavily; swooning somewhat against the gentle, salty breeze wafting the fried aroma of the fair food over them. Terry turns to him, startled by this sudden shift. Is something wrong? Does he feel sick? The screams of excited children ring out around them as the Mondo coaster and the Man Eater A-Go-Go make their descents from their highest peaks and Edd releases Terry's hand to instead cover his ears with another whine. Too loud? Sun's too bright? Is he cold? All of the above?

Oh shit…He hadn't considered that when he planned this outing, but he can't deny that it's not very surprising. All of the above is a bit of an understatement, he realizes; Edd hasn't seen the sun or even been outside — around _anyone else_ — in months.

Poor kid must be feeling real fuckin' overwhelmed.

"Y'alright?" Terry asks, leaning in a bit and placing his hand on the small of Edd's back.

Edd nods against his arm, back to clinging tightly to him. With a sigh, Terry grabs the sunglasses he'd secured to the neck of his jersey and hands them to Edd.

"Put these on," he instructs, "Should at least help with the sun."

Edd obeys, slipping the green-tinted shades over his eyes. Taking a second to adjust, he begins to calm, mumbling a quick 'thank you' as he straightens up a little. He still clings to Terry's arm, looking shaky on his feet. When he seems to be ready, Terry leads him further into the park.

"So, where d'ya wanna go first?" he asks, glancing around as nonchalantly as he can in search of any coworkers he'd prefer to avoid.

He feels Edd shrug beside him; "I don't know. Can you just…show me around for now?"

Terry shrugs back in the affirmative and does just that, escorting him around and pointing out the various attractions as they pass. Russ and Paul are hanging around and shoot him a nod of greeting as they pass, but don't seem to be interested in actually talking right now. _Fine by me._

The longer they walk and the longer Edd's able to acclimate to the sensory overload, the more comfortable he becomes, to the point of lobbing a few questions his way.

"How long have you worked here?" is the first.

Terry shrugs in response; "I dunno…Decade, maybe? Started not too long after I left home. Like I told ya before; it didn't exactly require a lot of experience and I got room n' board hella cheap. No real reason to go anywhere else, as far as I'm concerned."

"Do you have a favorite ride?"

Glancing around, Terry gives that some thought before nodding towards the coaster they're approaching; "Maybe the Man Eater? That or Mondo. They're probably the most thrills this place offers."

Edd falls silent for a moment after that, glancing around.

"Do you ever spend time with your coworkers outside of your occupation?" he asks, gazing up at the man.

"Not if I can help it," Terry grumbles back.

"Do you even _like_ your coworkers?"

Before Terry can answer, a familiar voice calls out to him; " _Hey, asshole!_ "

"Dammit…" he hisses, shooting a glare in Dave's direction as he approaches them, looking as greasy as ever.

"Hey, man," Dave greets with a sneer as he flicks some ashes off the end of his cigarette, "Long time no see, huh?"

"If fuckin' only…" Terry scoffs back, "I thought you were out of town?"

"I was," Dave shrugs back, "But it's all good. The old bitch's just fine — just a false alarm."

He pauses as something catches his eye. Terry doesn't have to follow his gaze to know that that something is Edd, who he can feel half-hiding behind him.

"Didja know you got a kid hangin' off ya?"

"No, thought it was a tumor," Terry retorts dryly.

Dave snickers, leaning forward with a smarmy grin, "This lil lady yer girlfriend or somethin'? Never woulda pegged _you_ to be robbin' the cradle, but who the fuck am I to judge, right?"

Edd's grip tightens around Terry's wrist. Right, Edd's not familiar with Dave's shitty sense of humor. Probably thinks he's being serious.

"Real funny, asshole," he nearly snarls, rolling his eyes, "This is my kid-sister. Now, y'mind fuckin' off? Yer weirdin' her out."

"Kid sister, huh?" Dave sneers, leaning in a little as he takes a drag on his cigarette.

He regards the child in disgust — something Terry himself has done on a number of occasions with the park guests, but which he's feeling incensed over now as Edd quivers at his side.

"Back off, will ya?" Terry grumbles through his teeth.

Dave glances at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Easy, there, Mr. Overprotective," he scoffs, "Never thought I'd see the day _you'd_ get all defensive over some brat. Since when d'you have a sister, anyway?"

"Since my parents fucked at some point thirteen years ago 'n forgot the condom," Terry groans, "Now d'ya mind? I'm _tryin'_ to show her a good time while our folks are busy and yer ruinin' our day."

" _I'm_ ruining yer day?" Dave scoffs again, casting Edd a smug grin, "C'mon, man. You can't tell me you actually wanna hang out with _this_ little brat?"

"Why not?" Terry scoffs, "She's better company than _you_ , that's for damn sure."

Dave's eyes narrow against the insult as he takes another drag from his cigarette. Keeping his eyes locked on Edd, he exhales with a grimace, directing the smoke towards the boy's face and forcing him to start coughing. Gritting his teeth, Terry shoves him away.

"I said 'back off', fucker!" he snaps.

Dave throws his hands up in defense, shooting him that shit-eating grin.

"Whoa, whoa!" he forces a laugh, "No need to get physical or nothin'."

Edd's coughing starts to calm — thank god — and he's back to clinging to Terry's arm with a whimper as Terry glares his so-called 'friend' down. Dave rolls his eyes, sidling up to Terry and throwing an arm around his shoulders.

"Alright," he snickers, leaning a little closer, "We've had our fun with Wheezy here. So what d'ya say we ditch the little shit n' fuck around the park for a while instead. Ya got the day off right? I'm sure I can squeeze in a little time with my bosom buddy. And yer _sister_ can prolly take care of herself, right? She looks old enough. "

"Hard pass," Terry retorts, elbowing him before ushering Edd along, "I'd rather spend the day with _family_ than pal around with _you._ "

As they walk away, he can hear Dave cuss him out before returning to his post at the ring toss. _Asshole._ He feels Edd glance back at Dave with a pout before looking up at Terry.

"Wouldn't…you have preferred to spend the day with your friend?" he asks.

"Yeah right," Terry retorts, "Calling that fucker a 'friend' is bein' _way_ too fuckin' generous."

"He seemed to imply he was your best friend, though? Is he not?"

"Fuck no — I tolerate that fucker at best. Dave's just bein' a jealous bitch."

"You didn't have to insult him…"

"He insulted _me_ first," Terry grumbles back. Casting aside his irritation, he shoots Edd a smile and gives his hand a gentle squeeze. "Anyway, I meant it when I said _you_ were way better company than him. I can't think of _anyone_ I'd rather spend the day with."

Beaming, Edd returns the squeeze, only for his attention to be drawn to a ride on their right; Mondo A-Go-Go's version of The Monster, called 'Squid Swkirl' (fuck Mike for never bothering to fix that weird-ass typo, by the way — _How did that even_ _ **happen?**_ ). Terry might've been surprised that Edd had missed it — being almost directly outside of his trailer — but he imagines the sun blinding him might've contributed to that. The documentary flashes in Terry's mind and he nods towards the groaning beast.

"You wanna ride it?" he offers, "You seemed pretty interested in it before. And you can get a look at the gears n' shit while we stand in line?"

"Yes, please!" Edd gushes, hopping up and down a bit.

That settles it, then. Stepping into line, Terry observes Edd excitedly pointing out the different mechanisms and reciting their overall function. Fuckin' precious. His little darling showing off his brilliance. The pride that display instills within him is incomparable. Climbing into the two-seat car, Edd's still bouncing a bit, particularly as he wraps his hands around the lap bar. Chuckling softly, Terry rests one arm around Edd's shoulders as he uses his other hand to lazily grab the bar as well. As the ride continues to fill up, he decides to engage in a bit of small talk.

"Excited?"

Blushing a bit, Edd nods; "I don't remember the last time I experienced an amusement park ride. I've done…'thrilling' activities with Ed and Eddy before, but those were wildly unsafe and usually the result of some accident or shoddy craftsmanship."

"Hmm…you feel like tryin' Mondo over there after this?" Terry asks, jabbing his thumb towards the coaster behind them.

Edd glances at it before shrinking back into the seat; "Um…N-Not yet. I think I'd have to…work up to something like that."

"Whatever you want, Princess," Terry coos, "It's your day."

Smiling up at him, Edd makes to say something else when a loud bell rings out, signaling the start of the ride. Terry leans in closer to mutter near his ear.

"Hold on tight, sweetheart."

And lo begins the twisting and turning; heaving and hoing. Edd clings to the bar, but winds up sliding in his seat regardless, often being pressed into Terry by the force. Thankfully, that doesn't seem to bother him, and his joyful smile and giggling remain throughout the ride, even as it comes to a bit of a stuttering end. Leaning against Terry's side and laughing as they wait for their turn to dismount, he doesn't even bother fixing the sunglasses, which are askew from all of his rocking back and forth. Smirking, Terry adjusts them for him, a gesture that gently brings Edd from his reverie to calm his laughter again. As their car is lowered further to allow them to step down, Terry nudges him a bit.

"Where d'ya wanna go next?"

Edd eagerly starts leading the way after that, going from stand to stand to gawk at the wares being peddled. Bypassing the funhouse with a wary glance at the unsettling clown sign. Stopping beside Mondo for just a moment to awe at its immense height and high speeds.

Upon reaching the aerial carousel, 'Wild Prawn', he drags Terry into the line, giggling at the silliness of the giant shrimp theme. He stares intently at the ride while they wait, watching its movement; which is similar to the Squid Swkirl — where the cars rotate around the axis and rise and fall. The only real difference is that the shrimp cars themselves don't spin and can be manually maneuvered up or down by the rider using a lever in front of the seat; a mechanism which Edd delights in exploiting to raise their shrimp as high as they can go and then dip sharply to make their stomachs sink.

He's having fun, thank god. So much so that Terry's surprised when he checks his watch after they exit the ride to find that a couple hours have already passed. _How the fuck did_ _ **that**_ _happen?_ It's still pretty early, but perhaps a short break is in order? Rehydrate n' all that shit. With that in mind, he takes Edd over to one of the food stands. Hmm…but he'd rather not deal with Steve trying to push a squid dog on them right now…Instead, he opts for a regular hot dog tent, where he finds Adam serving. Perfect. The less conversation the better.

"Two 'dogs," he requests, leaning on the counter, "And a couple water bottles."

Adam shrugs and starts preparing the order before he seems to notice Edd, who's lowered the sunglasses for the first time since leaving the trailer so he can better look over the menu in the shade of the awning. He shoots Terry a suspicious look, drawing him to sigh.

"My little sister," he explains simply, hoping he won't be expecting anything more than that.

Looking Edd over again, Adam shrugs and hands him one of the hotdogs and a bottle of water with a warm smile.

"Thank you," Edd pipes meekly, his inherent politeness forbidding him to remain silent per Terry's command.

Eh, he'll let it slide. He can't deny that it'd be weird for the kid to say nothing, after all.

Food in hand, they step out of line to sit down at one of the nearby picnic tables. Edd tucks in right away. Apparently he's worked up quite the appetite walkin' around so far today. Rather than spoil the moment with some obvious joke about the meat in the kid's hands, Terry instead inspects his own food before striking up a relaxed conversation.

"So, you havin' fun, Princess?" he asks, shooting Edd a smirk.

Edd nods, unable to speak amidst his chewing.

"Good," Terry continues, about to take a bite from his own 'dog when he spots Mike approaching, "Fuck…"

"Dave said you were out here…" Mike begins as he stops by the table; looking between them with a perplexed expression, "And that you brought your 'sister' to the park?"

Licking his lips, Terry nods towards Edd; "Yup. This is my sister, alright."

Mike scoffs at that; "Yeah right." He leans against the table as he inspects Edd carefully. "This kid's too cute to be _your_ sister."

Glaring at him, Terry starts shoveling his food down to prevent him from snapping back at the bossman with something he'll regret. Rubbing the back of his neck, Edd forces a pitiful smile in response to the supposed compliment, but offers no verbal reply. Whether that's because he's obeying Terry's rules or because he's feeling too uncomfortable, Terry doesn't know or care. All that matters is that he's staying quiet. If only Mike would take that as a hint to fuck off…

But nope! Seems he wants to have a conversation.

"So, what's your name, sweetheart?" he asks, clearly trying to sound as nice as possible.

Terry gasps, choking on his food. Fuck! Fuck! _Fuck!_ How could he forget something as obvious as a _name?!_ Sure, he didn't anticipate his coworkers giving enough of a shit to ask in the first place, but how could he forget to come up with something just in fuckin case?! Fuckin' _stupid!_ Okay, okay…just gotta think. As he chugs his water, throwing out some half-assed excuse about his food goin' down the wrong pipe, he fights to think of a few different names he could use. Eddna? Eh…Eddwina? Sounds stupid. Eddith? Maybe? Throat's nearly clear. Gotta make a choice. He opens his mouth to answer.

"Marion," Edd answers for him, eyes on Mike instead of Terry, who stares at the boy in shock.

Where did…? Well…Mike's satisfied with that, at least, smiling down at Edd as he holds his hand out.

"Nice to meet you, Marion," he replies as Edd shyly shakes his hand, "I'm Mike. I run things around here. You might say I'm the reason your dead-beat brother still has a job."

Edd pouts back at him as he curls in on himself a bit; "N…Nice to meet you…"

Finally, Mike turns his attention back to Terry, allowing Edd to finish his meal now that he's no longer being scrutinized..

"So what brings you two out to the park today?" he asks smugly.

Overcoming his surprise, Terry clears his throat again and sits up.

"Oh, uh…" he mumbles, "The folks are makin' me babysit while they fuck around for the holiday. Couldn't find a babysitter or somethin' back home, so they brought her here to stay for a few days."

"I see…" Mike hums, turning back to Edd, "And is your brother showin' you a good time?"

Edd nods, fidgeting with the lid of his water bottle. Terry clenches and unclenches his fist. Figures Dave would sell him out and send Mike over to fuck with him. He thinks up escape plan after escape plan, trying to figure out the best way he can slip away with Edd to get back to their perfect day.

Like some kinda angel sent to rescue them and relieve the tension, Adam swings by after being tagged out by Scott to hand Edd some cotton candy with a friendly wink and a pat to the top of his head. The smile snaps back to Edd's face and he giggles somewhat as his hair is tousled beneath the hood.

"Thank you," he replies, tasting some of the sugary treat. He then turns his attention to Terry with a bit of a pout. "Can we ride the ferris wheel next?"

 _Thank fuck._

"Hell yes," Terry replies, standing and taking the cotton candy so Edd can more easily rise to his feet, "Sorry, man. As _thrilling_ as this conversation is, I'm under strict orders from the folks to do whatever Marion here wants for the day. Talk later, though." _Much fuckin' later._

The look on Mike's face is fuckin' perfection as Terry hands the candy back to Edd and snags the remaining water bottle. Another swell of pride comes over him as Edd grabs his hand, practically leading the way as they walk towards the wheel. Of course his little genius would be able to get them out of that situation. Thank god, too…One more minute of Mike bein' a fuckin' creep and he might've snapped.

After reaching the ferris wheel, and waiting in a line that's fairly short, they board; with Edd still nibbling on his cotton candy. Fuckin' adorable. As their car rises to let on more passengers, Terry turns to him, leaning against the rail before them.

"That was fuckin' great," he snickers, keeping his voice low as he leans towards him, "Mike looked like he was 'bout to have a goddamn aneurysm. Serves him right."

"Is he always like that?" Edd asks, blushing a little.

"Not that I'm aware," Terry shakes his head, "I dunno what that was about."

"I hope I didn't get you into trouble somehow…"

"Nah, Mike's a big boy. He can get over it."

Edd giggles a little, pawing at the lap bar. Terry nudges him with his elbow.

"So, Marion, huh?" he asks, "Where'd you come up with that name, anyway?"

In response, Edd gives him a funny look; "Wait, did Eddy not tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

Blushing a little, Edd huffs; "After _everything else_ he shared… _that's_ the story he omitted?"

"Guess so?" Terry furrows his brow, "You mind cluin' me in?"

Edd looks away shyly; "Marion is my middle name…"

"Your middle name?" Terry echoes, "Why would Pipsqueak tell me about _that?_ "

"I assumed he'd have been happy to share that whole debacle with you…" Edd shrugs back.

"What 'debacle'?"

Edd groans a bit, crossing his arms over his chest.; "It was such a ridiculously unnecessary series of events, too…"

"C'mon," Terry teases, nudging him again, "Tell me about it."

Another groan, before Edd begins; "Well, it started with Eddy creating a…surprisingly successful scam involving the creation of wax replicas out of melted crayons. Kevin…"He grimaces as though the name had left a foul taste in his mouth. "Had found his ID and learned his middle name — something Eddy's _terribly_ ashamed of."

"I mean, I'd be ashamed too if my folks gave me a middle name like 'Skipper'," Terry scoffs.

"What _is_ your middle name?" Edd asks, "I don't think you've ever told me."

Terry shrugs; "Matthew. Pretty normal compared to the runt. Not that I could tell you why. As far as I can remember, the folks were getting way into boating n' shit around the time Pipsqueak was born, so maybe that's why it's so stupid?"

"I see…" Edd brushes his hair behind his ear, "'Matthew'…I think that suits you."

A compliment? That's something Terry wouldn't have expected. He tries not to let his ego swell too much, though. Best not to ruin the moment.

"So this Kevin kid found out Pipsqueak's middle name is 'Skipper'," he reminds him, "Then what?"

"O-Oh! Right…" Edd laughs meekly, "Well, then he decided to blackmail Eddy with it, resulting in a series of dares to see how far he could push him, which culminated in him revealing Eddy's middle name _anyway_. It was _awful!_ He made Eddy do the most _humiliating_ things all for _nothing!_ " He starts listing the grievances on his fingers. "Giving away the money we earned on the scam. Making him dress up like _Jimmy_ for…some reason. Making him act like some trained circus seal and eat raw fish! Even making us —"

He slaps his hand over his mouth, silencing himself and blushing beet red. Whatever that last thing was must've been pretty fuckin' heinous. And did he say 'us'? Was Edd involved too? The fuck did this Kevin kid make them do?! Before Terry can demand he elaborate, he clears his throat to continue.

"I-It doesn't matter," he grumbles, "The point is, after Kevin put him through all of that and still revealed his secret anyway, Eddy was devastated. It was made particularly atrocious when the other children began teasing him for it to reveal Kevin's betrayal. When the dust settled, Ed and I tried to cheer him up, but nothing was really working, so I told him _my_ middle name in the hopes that it'd make him feel better. I'd never really felt ashamed of it before then, but after I told him, he sicced the dogs on _me_ to divert their derision away from him." With a sigh, he sinks back into his seat, staring down at his cotton candy and idly picking at it. "So…like I said; after everything else Eddy's shared, I expected him to have _jumped_ at the chance to make fun of me in his correspondence with you."

Terry seethes as Edd lapses into silence, making a mental note to beat the shit out of Eddy when he sees him next. Little bastard…humiliating his Princess for daring to put in the effort to make him feel better?! Maybe he _should_ let the little fucker come out for Spring Break? He's sure he could find a place to hide the body…Plenty of kids end up drowning near the pier. Not to mention the accidents that happen in amusement parks. Oh! There's that swamp just outside of town. That'd be a good spot.

" _My apologies_ …" Edd mumbles, drawing him from his rage, "I know talking about Eddy makes you upset." He glances at him with a timid smile. "I'm having a wonderful time."

His anger dissipating, Terry wraps his arm around Edd's shoulders, giving him a gentle squeeze.

"I'm glad to hear that, Princess," he coos, placing a quick kiss to his temple.

They're starting to move at a nice, relaxing rotation. Edd leans against Terry's side, gazing out over the park.

"You've been…different lately," he states softly, fidgeting with the sleeve of his shirt, "Nicer to me. More…patient."

Terry shrugs, unsure if he's meant to reply to that.

"Is this…really what you wanted?" Edd continues, pausing in his statements as though he's unsure of just what he wants to say, "When you…'brought me here'? Were you after this kind of…'domesticity'?"

"I mean…yeah?" Terry shrugs again, "S'all I've ever wanted from you." He rests his chin against his fist as he leans against his side of the car, staring out into the ocean as his thoughts flow like its current. "Wakin' up n' seein' you every morning…Spending every day with you instead of bein' alone…Goin' to bed with you n' making love for fuckin' _hours_ till we finally fall asleep cuz we just can't stay awake any longer…" With a wince, he lightly shakes that off and turns back to Edd. "That's all I've had in mind since I decided to go through with this."

Blushing, Edd shifts a bit in the seat.

"If that's how you felt…" he murmurs, "Then why wouldn't you try to lead with any of that?"

"Would you have _accepted_ any of that?"

Hunching his shoulders, Edd shrugs; "Well…"

"Course not…" Terry scoffs, "Besides, I'm used to gettin' my way with force. That's how things worked when I lived with my folks and it hadn't failed me since."

"Oh yeah?" Edd retorts, his tone deadpan, "And how did it work out for you this time?"

Terry rolls his eyes; "Yeah, yeah. I get it. I was frankly gettin' tired of that shit anyway. You _do_ seem to like me better like this and…bein' mean and controlling? That shit wasn't working, but…this is. So there's no real reason to try that again." He takes a pinch of cotton candy. "If it's any consolation, I never _wanted_ to hurt you. At least…not like that."

Edd furrows his brow as Terry pops the bite into his mouth; "What does that mean? 'Not like that'?"

Terry shrugs; "It's a sexual thing. A little pain during sex can feel _hella_ good if you do it right."

Edd groans, sinking down in the seat and rubbing his temples; "Why do I keep asking you to explain things?" He sighs, relaxing again. "That aside…I must admit, I do find this new behavior preferable. I suppose you could call me 'high-maintenance' or something, but I _do_ greatly prefer to not be treated like a canine and tormented for weeks on end."

Terry winces against the sting of that comment. Rubbing his eyes, he leans against the edge of the car.

"Yeah…I'm…sorry about that, by the way," he mumbles through a reluctant sigh, "I realize I never actually apologized for that before now. At least…not really. I know it doesn't make up for anything, but…I _am_ sorry."

Edd doesn't respond right away, merely observing him before smiling gently and leaning against his shoulder.

"Well…" he mumbles, closing his eyes and placing his hands around Terry's arm, "You've been much more pleasant towards me as of late, so…I'd say that's at least a start."

 _A start, huh?_ Terry lets himself relax a bit, staring off into the shimmering water. _I can handle that._ The wheel stops near the top as the ride ends to allow people to disembark. He feels Edd tilt his head up a bit and breathe a soft sigh.

"I've never glimpsed the ocean from such an exquisite vantage…" he murmurs, "I imagine the beach would look lovely right now…"

"You wanna go to the beach?" Terry offers, glancing down at him.

Edd sits up, somewhat surprised; "Can we?"

"Well, there's not really a beach around here per say," Terry explains, "but I could take ya out on the pier or somethin'? It's just outside the park and I know a spot that's usually pretty quiet."

He watches Edd's eyes sparkle in excitement, even behind the sunglasses, cementing that plan. Even if he _wanted_ to, he couldn't say 'no' now. Should be fine. They've still got a couple hours before sunset. And if they take the van around the perimeter of the park, they'll still have more than enough time to return long before the fireworks begin as well.

Finally; a Valentine's to remember…


End file.
